As the future becomes more automated, leaders will need to put human judgement first

Opinion | Future of Talent and Leadership Week in Focus

As AI takes on more routine work, the relationship between people and technology will become more complicated. The CEO of AuraVeo explains.

I joined HP during the PC boom of the 1990s, when technology was changing quickly, and businesses were figuring out what it meant for how they operated. I went on to lead a large-scale digital transformation across Koenig & Bauer Group, which taught me that technology can change quickly, but people often need a little more time.

That is particularly relevant now. AI is changing how teams operate, the skills they need and the decisions leaders have to make. The efficiency gains are obvious, but businesses also need to develop people, protect creativity, challenge poor decisions and build teams that can adapt as the technology changes.

We need to think differently about junior talent

Leaders across all industries need to spend more time on this. If AI can do entry-level tasks, how does someone at the beginning of their career learn those foundations and develop the judgement they will need later on?

When I was 24, I spent four years as assistant to the chairman of the board of a major German manufacturing company. I was exposed to international negotiations, strategic decisions, and complex business problems, but I wasn’t responsible for making any of them. I was there to observe and learn.

That experience showed me that learning happens by watching how experienced people make decisions, handle difficult situations, and respond when something goes wrong. Even if AI takes some of those entry-level tasks away, young employees still need that exposure.

This is why I think mentorship will become even more important for the workforce of the future.

Young employees need someone who can help them understand not just how to complete a task, but why a decision was made, when to challenge an assumption and how to take accountability for mistakes while they are learning.

The chairman I worked for is actually still a mentor to me today. That says something about the value of having someone who can challenge your thinking and provide perspective over the course of a career.

Each new generation also brings something businesses should not overlook: new perspectives.

Young people see things differently, question established ways of working and often bring a natural curiosity about new technology. If we remove too many entry-level tasks in the name of efficiency, we risk removing some of the experiences that help people build confidence and learn how to make decisions.

The human role is changing

As AI becomes more capable, people will spend more time directing systems, checking outputs, and working through problems that do not have an obvious answer.

For marketers, the risk is a planner accepting an automated optimisation recommendation because the data says it should work, without questioning whether it actually makes sense for the audience or the wider campaign. The technology can provide the recommendation, but someone still needs to understand the context.

That requires judgement, and leaders need to create an environment where people question technology rather than accept its output.

Good leaders need people around them who can say they think an idea is wrong. It can be difficult to hear, particularly when you have spent time developing the idea yourself, but disagreement is often how better ideas emerge. We should protect and nurture it rather than automatically hand it over to a machine.

Our AI companion, built from the ground up on Google Gemini, answers consumers’ questions about the products they are holding. But the most important design decisions were not about what the AI could do, but what it shouldn’t.

Brands decide what their companion knows, how it speaks and where its boundaries are. It remains anchored to their own product information, so the technology does the talking, but people decide what it says.

Emotional intelligence matters more

As AI takes on more routine work, the relationship between people and technology will become more complicated. Senior team members will need to understand when someone is struggling with a new way of working, when a team is under pressure and when a technology is creating more problems than it is solving.

I try to pay attention to what is happening with people around me. Sometimes someone is struggling because of work or their personal life. I don’t always get it right, but I think leaders have a responsibility to notice what is going on and make the time to talk.

We also need to recognise when we are asking too much of someone. Having AI at our disposal does not mean we should automatically expect people to take on more than they realistically can.

I learned that myself when I gave someone more responsibility because I wanted to help them develop. I already felt it was too much, but I went ahead anyway, and they struggled. I apologised, and we shared the responsibility. It was a learning experience for both of us, and it reminded me that giving someone an opportunity doesn’t mean giving them everything.

Leading with an open mind

Leadership is not about having all the answers. It is about being confident enough to have a point of view while being open to changing it.

My mentor early in my career taught me to protect my independence, that you need to be able to move on if a company changes direction, and that independence gives you the freedom to be creative, push new ideas and stand up for your values.

The same applies to how we work with AI. We need people who can work with new technology without becoming dependent on it, challenge decisions and make good judgements.

Curiosity, creativity, critical thinking and emotional intelligence will matter alongside technical knowledge. Technology will continue to change the tools we use. As leaders, our job is to make sure we do not lose sight of the people using them.

Sandra Wagner is the CEO of AuraVeo