Across industries, there is a growing focus on how to ask more effective questions when interacting with generative AI. However, leaders are also turning their attention to the broader implications of this technology—specifically how it could impact their organizations and the people who use it.
At the Thinkers50 conference in London, which celebrates significant achievements in business and leadership research, we gathered insights from top management scholars. We asked them: What key questions should organizations be asking about generative AI to better understand its potential impact?
From concerns about bias to the balance between productivity and burnout, four scholars share their insights on the ethical, societal, and existential issues often overlooked in the rush to embrace new technologies. Their perspectives challenge us to examine how AI tools align with core human values and the future we hope to create.
Stephanie Creary, an assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, focuses on organizational behavior, including issues like diversity, identity, and overwork.
Q: How can we balance AI adoption with employee well-being?
A: “There’s always a double-edged sword in life—every good has its bad. When we look at generative AI, its purpose is to help us be more efficient, get knowledge faster, and integrate it into our work more quickly, which has undeniable benefits. But words like ‘efficient,’ ‘faster,’ and ‘more’ can push us to do more, sometimes beyond our capacity to keep up.
I worry about how rising expectations will strain our cognitive and physical limits. We aren’t superhuman—our ability to cope emotionally, physically, and cognitively is finite. As technology demands more, we need to shift the focus towards working well without burning ourselves out. How can we harness AI’s potential to improve products without compromising our mental and physical well-being? These are the critical conversations we need to have moving forward.”
Sinan Aral, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Sinan Aral, a professor at MIT’s Sloan School of Management and a director of research on generative AI and decentralization, offers valuable insights into the evolving skill sets needed in an AI-driven world.
Q: What skills will new workers need in an AI world?
A: “In a world where machines are increasingly proficient at answering questions, the key human skill will be asking the right questions. These questions should focus on our values and the potential for what’s possible. They cannot be derived solely from the past, as we are exploring a wide array of new possibilities.
The essential questions revolve around envisioning a better future: What is the most beautiful world we could create tomorrow? All other questions stem from that vision and the path to achieving it.
The real challenge lies in how we ask those questions meaningfully.”
Poornima Luthra, Copenhagen Business School
Poornima Luthra, an associate professor at Copenhagen Business School and the author of The Art of Active Allyship, explores behaviors that can nurture inclusive environments and counter AI bias.
Q: What behaviors can help counter AI bias?
A: “When we view leadership as something everyone can contribute to, we can all step up to foster inclusive spaces through active allyship. A key behavior here, particularly in relation to generative AI, is deep curiosity. It involves asking, Whose voice is missing? Are the voices of people from different backgrounds, especially from the Global South or those who are often underrepresented, reflected in the AI’s responses? It’s crucial to look for these gaps.
The second behavior is honest introspection. This means examining bias not only in the AI’s responses but also in the way we ask questions. How do the words we use influence the answers we get? Could small changes in our phrasing lead to more inclusive or nuanced answers? Reflecting on both the questions we pose and the responses we receive can help us identify and mitigate bias in AI systems.”
Pia Lauritzen, Qvest
Pia Lauritzen, a philosopher and the CEO of Qvest, an employee engagement tech company based in Denmark, explores the philosophical aspects of how questions shape human thinking and knowledge.
Q: What questions shouldn’t be left to AI?
A: “From a philosophical standpoint, there are certain questions that we should never delegate to a bot. I often refer to the ‘three big E’s’:
- Existential questions: Who am I? What does it mean to be one person as opposed to another?
- Ethical questions: How should I behave? How do I act in a way that benefits not just myself, but others and the world?
- Epistemological questions: How do we know what we know? What do we truly understand, and how do we address what we don’t know?
It’s crucial that we engage with each other on these topics, rather than relying on technology to provide answers. These are discussions that require human insight, not just automated responses.”