For a very long time, occupational groups that didn't carry out physical work felt safe. It was assumed that human knowledge and creativity would be indispensable. However, AI-based tools have long been deployed in banks, at insurance companies and in the media. Up to now, AI has merely supported managers. But in the future, it could actually replace them, according to Niels Van Quaquebeke, a Professor of Leadership and Organisational Behaviour at Kühne Logistics University in Hamburg, in an interview with "brandeins". «brandeins»-Interview.
The idea of AI as a manager is multifaceted, ranging from a dashboard to a chatbot or a voice like Alexa. AI can be used in many different areas, not only for routine tasks, but also complex managerial ones. Quaquebeke believes that AI could even be better than the average manager in many respects because it can make quick, data-driven decisions and better meet the needs of employees.
Having a relationship with an AI manager is possible because people tend to humanise machines, he suggests. "Many of us have an emotional relationship with our smartphone. And the American company Meta is currently showing how people build a bond with chatbots in their communication via WhatsApp," Van Quaquebeke says. Although this can have positive aspects, he warns about a possible flattening of human interactions and a loss of the kind of conflict experiences and crises that typically promote personal growth.
Erfahren Sie mehr über KI in Führungspositionen von Niels Van Quaquebeke am 20. Europäischen Trendtag, der am 13. März 2024 am Gottlieb Duttweiler Institut stattfinden wird. Dort wird Van Quaquebeke über das Thema «KI in der Chefetage: Der Aufstieg der digitalen Führung» referieren.