In the age of AI human judgement is invaluable.
Brieane Olson
The pace of change in business has never been faster—and nowhere is that more true than in the conversation around AI. New tools launch every day, the pressure to keep up is real, and leaders are trying to figure out where the technology ends and their own judgment begins. But what a lot of people are missing is that with all the AI noise, what’s becoming increasingly valuable isn’t the tech. It’s the human judgment behind it—and developing, hiring for, and protecting that judgment is what leadership in the age of AI actually demands.
Recognizing AI’s Limits
When our organization attended the D3 Institute at Harvard, the message from global leaders was unambiguous: companies that don’t embrace AI will become obsolete—the future Blockbusters and Kodaks of business history. With that in mind, we built an 18-month roadmap to integrate AI into every part of our organization. We tested, measured, and pivoted as needed, leaning into what worked and dropping what didn’t. The process confirmed just how valuable human judgment remains as we adopt these tech tools.
AI can analyze data and tell you what’s selling or predict what might go viral. However, that information is no longer a competitive advantage—because everybody has access to the analytical powers of AI. Anyone can learn to use an AI tool. But can they make a values-based call when the data doesn’t give a clear answer? Can they read a cultural moment and respond in a way that resonates with people? Can they build trust with a community? Those are the capabilities worth investing in now.
AI has its limits, especially when human judgement is needed.
Brieane Olson
Co-Intelligence Is the Real Differentiator
While AI has undeniable practical uses for any organization, it isn’t the ultimate competitive advantage. The humans inside the organization are—and when they’re empowered by AI, they get even stronger. That’s the framework Ethan Mollick lays out in Co-Intelligence, a book discussed at the D3 Institute. Mollick doesn’t frame AI as a threat or a replacement. He frames it as a co-worker, co-teacher, and coach—a collaborative partner designed to augment human ingenuity. His argument is that AI is most powerful when it’s paired with the most astute human intelligence: human capital plus AI becomes the superpower.
The leaders who will define what leadership in the age of AI looks like aren’t the ones who resist AI or the ones who defer to it completely. They’re the ones who know what to hand off and what to hold on to. Operational data, forecasting, allocation—hand it off. Values, vision, the kind of purpose-driven decision-making that John Mackey built Whole Foods on—keep it human. AI cannot be empathetic or vulnerable, or read the emotional temperature of a community. And in an era where authenticity is a rare and sought-after asset, those are exactly the qualities that build lasting trust.
Leadership in the Age of AI Requires Building for the Human Advantage
The implications of all this extend beyond strategy. Creating an organization where co-intelligence functions in practice will take work. Hiring will change. Building teams will have to look different. Education will evolve. The organizations that get it right will be the ones that prioritize the human qualities that actually build businesses.
AI will keep getting better at the analytical work. The more it can do, the more leadership in the age of AI demands something different from us: the empathy to build trust, the judgment to know what the data can’t tell you, and the vision to inspire people toward something worth building. The best leaders have always known this. AI just raises the stakes.