FROM PRODUCTIVITY TO PURPOSE IN THE AGE OF AI
Change is weaving itself into the fabric of our daily lives with relentless pervasiveness and this phenomenon has intensified with the emergence of artificial intelligence. If AI excels at productivity, what distinctly human leadership capacities must we develop? Attempting to answer this profound question are Exeter University’s Jonathan Gosling , along with IEDC-Bled School of Management’s Elnura Irmatova and Arnold Walravens
I n today’s business world, organisations are struggling to keep up with the pace of change, often sacrificing meaning and purpose in pursuit of adaptation. The result is a landscape where leaders chase shadows of what leadership once was, creating what French sociologist and philosopher Jean Baudrillard termed ‘simulacra’, or copies without originals. According to Stanford University’s Institute for Human- Centred Artificial Intelligence, the symbiosis of humans with AI has dramatically enhanced productivity, speed and quality, while reducing costs. As algorithms assume responsibility for optimisation and efficiency, traditional leadership focused primarily on productivity improvement becomes increasingly obsolete.
The melding of human and artificial intelligence, coupled with the frenetic pace of change, creates a condition reminiscent of Zeno’s paradox: the more frantically we pursue adaptation, the more elusive meaningful progress becomes. In this environment, simulacra of leadership proliferate: performative displays of heroism, formulaic approaches to complex problems and image management masquerading as vision. These simulacra thrive in stable environments but collapse under conditions of genuine uncertainty. But if we now find ourselves within the realm of leadership simulacra, we need to ponder on how we can transcend this illusion and move towards creating a future that is truly meaningful.
36 Ambition • ISSUE 1 • 2026
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