By Dr. Willy Kotiuga

Introduction

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming how people live, work, and lead. For many, this technological shift brings both excitement and uncertainty. Will AI replace jobs? Can it be trusted? How should individuals - especially business leaders and students - engage with this new digital force? While these questions are important, one powerful idea helps clarify the situation: AI is not just artificial intelligence - it is augmented intelligence. When viewed this way, AI becomes a tool that enhances human capacity, rather than a threat to it.

AI: Promise and Peril for the Business World

The roots of computing trace back several decades, and those who have been in the field long enough recall the early days. I learned to code over fifty years ago using punch cards to execute simple programs. The process was slow and manual, but it had one clear advantage: it was consistent. If the data did not change, the results did not change. Everything felt controlled and predictable.

In contrast, today’s AI operates differently. It does not consistently provide the same response to identical prompts. Alter one word in a question, and the answer may change as well. This unpredictability can make AI feel like a “black box,” where outcomes seem uncertain or even mysterious. For those who prioritize accuracy and repeatability, this can be uncomfortable.

However, the pace of innovation has made one thing clear: AI is here to stay. It is reshaping how businesses operate, how people learn, and how teams connect. Instead of resisting it, forward-thinking leaders are asking a better question—not whether AI will change the world, but how people can harness it to enhance their lives and leadership.

Who Are We? What Is AI?

At the heart of this discussion is the understanding of what it means to be human. People are not defined by the tasks they automate or the data they analyze. Instead, they are defined by their imagination, creativity, and ability to shape the future. This is why the term augmented intelligence is so powerful. It suggests that AI is not here to replace human thinking, but to enhance it.

Augmented intelligence is akin to a telescope for ideas - it enables individuals to see further and think more clearly. For business leaders and EMBA students, this means AI can assist them in asking better questions, identifying patterns in data, and acting with greater insight.

It can serve as a co-creator in the innovation process, not merely a tool for repetitive tasks. Still, it is essential to use AI with discernment. AI systems are trained on massive datasets, which can sometimes raise concerns about privacy, accuracy, and bias. However, the risk does not lie within the technology itself - it stems from how people choose to use it.

Ignoring AI or using it carelessly can lead to problems, while engaging with it thoughtfully can foster growth. When used effectively, AI becomes a trusted partner. It can assist leaders in making quicker decisions, generating innovative ideas, and forging stronger connections with customers and team members. While it lacks lived experience and does not replace the wisdom gained from real life, it can enhance human strengths - particularly when guided by values such as integrity, service, and excellence.

Benefits for Business Leaders and EMBA Students

Over the past two years, I have experimented with AI in my daily work and discovered surprising results. Initially, I was skeptical. However, as time passed, I began to view AI as a digital colleague—one that could serve as a tutor, editor, therapist, or brainstorming partner. AI didn’t replace human thinking; it enhanced it.

Here are some specific ways that business leaders and students are benefiting from AI:

• Faster Decision-Making: AI can swiftly analyze vast amounts of data. This enables teams to explore market trends, evaluate customer feedback, or compare strategic options in minutes rather than hours.

• Enhanced Writing and Communication: AI can assist in generating initial drafts of reports, speeches, and emails. It also offers valuable feedback to enhance clarity and tone. For anyone in the business realm, these tools can increase confidence and productivity.

• Prototyping and Planning: Business planning no longer necessitates endless whiteboard sessions. AI can simulate ideas, model outcomes, and offer “what-if” scenarios, simplifying the testing of new strategies.

• Deeper Thinking: Paradoxically, AI fosters sharper thinking. It provides counterarguments, challenges assumptions, and highlights blind spots. When asked, “What am I missing?” AI frequently offers insights that enhance decision-making.

• Team Development: AI serves as an effective tutor for less experienced team members. It accelerates learning and minimizes the need for constant supervision, allowing leaders to concentrate on coaching and broader strategic goals.

• Customer Engagement: By analyzing survey responses and suggesting personalized replies, AI empowers teams to listen more effectively and respond with greater care and precision.

• Values-Based Innovation: AI does not have values - but it can reflect them. When prompts are grounded in a commitment to justice, transparency, and stewardship, the results tend to align with those principles.

In practical terms, AI can support everyday business tasks. It assists users in organizing qualitative data from interviews, exploring the advantages and disadvantages of a plan, and providing quick coaching on topics ranging from Excel formulas to presentation skills. In this way, AI acts as a patient tutor - one that never tires and is always ready to help.

Given all this potential, AI still needs human oversight. It cannot discern between what is wise and what is simply clever. It cannot experience joy or sorrow. It cannot substitute for community. However, it can assist people in focusing on what matters most by minimizing the time spent on what matters least.

Conclusion

The real opportunity, then, is not merely technological. It is personal and relational. AI offers people the chance to be more human - to lead with greater clarity, listen more deeply, and think more creatively. In the hands of those who lead with purpose, AI is not a threat; it is a gift.

In conclusion, the future of AI is not something that happens to people; it is shaped by the choices they make every day. Those who use AI with integrity and vision will discover that it enhances their ability to lead, serve, and grow. AI is not the solution to every question, but it can help people ask better ones—and that, more than anything, marks the beginning of real transformation.

For Further Reading

For an in-depth report on AI, see the McKinsey & Company report on Superagency in the Workplace – Empowering people to unlock AI’s full potential, January 2025. LINK

Dr. Willy Kotiuga, Chair of the BGU Board of Regents, has a background in both engineering and the arts. He holds a PhD in Electrical Engineering and an MFA in Creative Nonfiction Writing. He is a retired Senior Director at one of the world’s largest engineering consulting firms and managed major projects in over 25 countries during his 40-year-long career. He teaches courses in Metrics of Innovation at BGU. In writing this article, he employed AI as both a research assistant and an editorial sounding board, showcasing its potential as a tool rather than a substitute for human insight.