How artificial intelligence is revolutionising leadership and organisational structures

Adding new capabilities to organisations, changing the way companies make decisions, allocate responsibilities and build their competitive advantage: this is the task facing artificial intelligence in support of management, following an initial phase dominated by the adoption of generative tools and the pursuit of new operational efficiency. The debate on AI is, in fact, shifting towards a deeper issue involving changes in leadership styles and working models, as well as the development of new skills to truly harness the full potential of the technology. Two recent international studies, conducted by Deloitte and IBM respectively, have examined this issue in depth, converging on a fundamental point: the challenge (for management) no longer concerns the technology itself but is focused on the ability of companies to rethink structures, decision-making processes and executive roles. Artificial intelligence thus becomes a transformative factor that directly involves everyone in the organisation, including, of course, chief executives.

According to the research “Global Human Capital Trends 2026” by Deloitte, which involved over 9,000 managers and professionals in around 90 countries, businesses are entering a phase in which traditional models risk no longer keeping pace with the speed of change. Seven out of ten leaders, in particular, believe that over the next three years strategic competitiveness will depend on the ability to operate more quickly and flexibly, whilst over half of those surveyed argue that business functions need to be rethought in terms of both skills and their very mission. This last finding appears particularly significant because it highlights how artificial intelligence is challenging established organisational structures, confirming a trend well illustrated by two other indicators: two-thirds of the managers surveyed recognise the importance of overcoming traditional functional divisions, whilst nearly six in ten companies have already launched concrete initiatives in this direction.

The rationale behind the current change is (on paper) simple: AI lays bare the inefficiency of an operational structure characterised by silos and compartmentalisation, and reinforces the paradigm that more integrated models are needed to leverage data, skills and decision-making capabilities – models in which information can flow rapidly between different areas of the organisation. Matteo Zanza, Human Capital Leader at Deloitte Central Mediterranean, has framed the current evolution by emphasising that today it is necessary to ‘organise data and technology across functions, separating expertise from structure and strengthening cross-functional accountability to bring out new capabilities and new insights’. And there are companies, the manager adds, citing the case of Moderna, a US multinational active in the biotechnology sector, that have merged the HR and IT functions into a single department in order to restructure the company for large-scale growth.

The other key finding to emerge from Deloitte’s analysis concerns the relationship between technology and people. Although 88% of leaders recognise the importance of acting quickly to seize the opportunities offered by artificial intelligence, only 14% believe they currently possess the skills needed to effectively manage the interaction between humans and machines. The research also highlights an imbalance that could lead to a strategic risk: currently, 93% of investment earmarked for transformation is absorbed by technology, whilst just 7% is directed towards people development. This is a clear imbalance which, according to Deloitte’s experts, could generate what is known as a ‘cultural debt’.

‘Without adequate development of human capital,’ Zanza emphasised in this regard, ‘technological innovation is bound to create organisational friction, as well as eroding people’s trust. Corporate culture, therefore, must not be regarded as an ancillary element, but should be treated as a genuine core business infrastructure.” The data shows that companies undertaking growth and operational model reviews by adopting an approach centred exclusively on technology are, in fact, less likely to achieve tangible returns on their AI investments than those adopting a human-centric strategy. Competitive advantage, as the Deloitte study concludes, increasingly stems from the combination of intelligent technologies and human capabilities such as critical thinking, adaptability and interpersonal skills.