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Will Artificial Intelligence Replace Managers or Make Them More Effective?

With the latest technological advancements, it seems that artificial intelligence can accomplish an almost infinite number of tasks. The latest generative AI models have made significant strides in data analysis, video generation, and voice processing. Each month, innovative features enrich our imagination with new possibilities. Will artificial intelligence soon replace managers?

“I fear that AI may replace humans entirely.” – Professor Stephen Hawking

What if we shifted the focus from technology to people?

To determine if artificial intelligence can replace a manager, we must first define the characteristics of a successful manager. Fortunately, Google delved into this question over a decade ago with Project Oxygen.1

In fact, Google’s software engineers viewed managers as a necessary evil, adding bureaucracy. The company thus initiated a research project with the following question: Are managers important?

Contrary to the perception of some of their employees, they discovered that the performance of managers has a significant impact on team results!

The 8 Characteristics of a Good Manager

After several years of research, Google published a list of the 8 characteristics of a good manager in order of importance.

  1. Is a good coach
  2. Empowers the team and does not micromanage
  3. Shows interest and cares about the success and personal well-being of team members
  4. Is productive and results-oriented
  5. Is a good communicator—listens and shares information
  6. Helps with career development
  7. Has a clear vision and strategy for the team
  8. Possesses key technical skills that help advise the team

Notice an interesting detail? Technical skills, which could potentially be replaced by AI, are the last criterion on the list.

Using Artificial Intelligence to Become a Better Manager

Analyzing these results, we quickly see that artificial intelligence as we know it today cannot compete with humans in management skills.

“The more human you are in your leadership, the better the results will be for your teams, your organization, and yourself.” – Rasmus Hougaard, founder and CEO of Potential Project2

The question then becomes: can we use artificial intelligence to become a better manager? The matrix below is a good starting point to identify opportunities for maximizing collective intelligence through AI.

In this context, collective intelligence is defined as the collaboration of humans and artificial intelligence so that together they act more intelligently than any person, group, or computer alone.

Artificial Intelligence for Strategy and Decision-Making

Artificial intelligence can enhance our decision-making capabilities in critical and high-pressure situations. Here are some concrete examples:

  1. Using predictive AI to improve your sales forecasts. More accurate forecasts will allow you to optimize your inventory and make better long-term decisions about capacity management.
  2. Using augmented reality to simulate scenarios and better prepare for them. Whether it’s customer interaction scenarios or training for new manufacturing equipment, augmented reality allows you to test your skills in a risk-free environment.
  3. Leveraging AI’s data interpretation capabilities to optimize operational efficiency. For example, the models developed by Amazon help choose the best distribution center to assign your order based on available inventory and the capacity of each site.

The possibilities are endless. It is up to you to determine the best way to optimize the use of artificial intelligence to enhance the collective intelligence of your business.

Interested in the topic?

Generative AI was not used in the ideation, writing, or review of this article.

  1. David a. Garvin, How Google sold its engineers on management, https://hbr.org/2013/12/how-google-sold-its-engineers-on-management, Harvard Business Review, Décembre 2013. ↩︎
  2. Rasmus Hougaard, Jacqueline Carter, and Rob Stembridge, The Best Leaders Can’t Be Replaced by AI, Harvard Business Review, 12 janvier 2024. ↩︎

Other References:

  • Thomas W. Malone, Superminds – The Surprising Power of People and Computers Thinking Together, Little Brown Spark Editions, 2018.
  • Mark Purdy and A. Mark Williams, How AI Can Help Leaders Make Better Decisions Under Pressure, Harvard Business Review, October 26, 2023.