Humans have always been better at inventing tools that change the way we live and work than adapting to the big changes these tools cause. Consider for a moment how the internet has given us instant access to gigabytes of data and yet has made us more distracted. Or how social media has enabled us to be more connected than ever, and yet can also alienate or isolate us.

In the same way, AI has the potential to enhance the human experience of work, or it could lead us into an automated, robotic, overwhelming, and uninspiring work reality. Which will it be?

We have spent 15 years helping large companies create a more human world of work through our research and solutions increasing awareness, wisdom and compassion in leadership. When use of AI in the workplace accelerated with the launch of generative AI, our reaction was a mix of curiosity and concern. We were curious about the potential and concerned about the implications for people, so we launched a new research initiative which will be published in our forthcoming book. We have completed in-depth interviews of more than 100 CEOs, chief people officers, chief learning officers, and other senior leaders from companies like Accenture, Cisco, Starbucks, Citibank, Eli Lilly, IKEA, Visa, and more. We have also met with numerous leading AI experts and completed 360 surveys of more than 2,500 leaders and employees from around the globe.

In contrast to much of the anxious debate and prognostication around generative AI, this research caused us great excitement as we discovered that, paradoxically, AI can help make leaders more human – that despite its challenges and risks, AI has the potential to catalyze a new age of human leadership. As Nhlamu Dlomu, global head of people at KPMG, shared with us: “With the power, promise, and potential of AI, leaders have a rare opportunity of rethinking and redefining how we work and how we lead. We can choose to make the experience of work more positive for ourselves and the people we lead and simultaneously improve financial results.”

Humans have a history of introducing new, time-saving technologies into the workplace and instead of gaining more time, we fill the void with more work. But what if, in addition to AI helping us save time on tactical activities, it also allowed us to redirect our focus to how we make people feel?

[Here is the first if several benefits.]

Elevating the Best of Our Humanness

Humans are wonderful creatures. We can be smart, creative, and kind. But we can also be messy, inconsistent, and imperfect. We can have clear leadership values, but that doesn’t mean we always follow them. We might have aspirations to show up in a certain way, but that doesn’t mean we always do.

AI can help us be less messy and more consistent. It can help us elevate the best of our humanness. As Paul Daugherty, Accenture’s chief technology and innovation officer and author of Human + Machine: Reimagining Work in the Age of AI, told us, “Through strategic application of AI systems and tools, leaders can cultivate their best human qualities and human areas of leadership.”

One way to think of it: AI can be like an exoskeleton for the mind and heart of a human leader. While this notion may bring to mind the image of Iron Man from the world of Marvel comics and movies, the idea here is a variation: Just like an exoskeleton strengthens the physical body of a human, AI can strengthen our cognitive, emotional and social powers. Intellectually, it can enhance cognitive prowess, allowing you to process vast amounts of information swiftly and make good decisions. Emotionally, AI can help deepen your understanding of an employee and advise you on the best path forward. Socially, AI can help you understand team dynamics and foster diverse thinking and psychologically safe environments.

However, as great as AI can be, alone it cannot make us better leaders. Relying only on AI, without doing the inner work of human development would be like buying a top-of-the-line Ferrari while ignoring our driving skills. To get the best from AI, we need to equally invest in the development of our human potential. Alone, neither is sufficient. Both are necessary. Harnessing the power of AI starts with embracing the idea of augmentation.