Generative AI in leadership

Gen AI at work: Shaping the future of organizations, a new Capgemini Research Institute report, highlights how generative AI (Gen AI) is expected to transform work by reshaping roles and responsibilities. Our research shows that human-AI collaboration will create more value, streamlining organizational structures and operating models.

The report is based on the analysis of a survey of 1,500 leaders and managers and 1,000 employees (entry-level individual contributors) at organizations with annual revenue above $1 billion in 15 countries and across various industries.

Employees in the survey predicted that Gen AI will facilitate a third of entry-level tasks over the next 12 months, making these roles more autonomous and progressively shifting them from creation to review. Half of the leaders and managers surveyed noted that this change will accelerate career progress for entry-level workers.

Leaders and managers expect Gen AI to save them up to seven hours weekly, allowing them to focus on strategic decision-making and tasks requiring emotional intelligence. Managers will play a crucial role in easing workforce fears about new technologies and will be key in integrating Gen AI into workflows. Over half of the leaders (54%) believe managerial roles will become more significant as they guide Gen AI-driven changes, ensuring accountability and adapting practices to a human-centered approach.

Leadership aims to design the future organization, redefine roles, and reimagine work methods; 70% of leaders and managers we surveyed expect to focus on creating frameworks for the responsible and ethical use of Gen AI systems.

Generative AI also has the potential to reshape organizational structures. Only 18% of leaders and managers we surveyed believe it will reduce middle management, but 51% think that within three years, managerial roles could shift from generalists to specialists. This shift will require organizations to adopt flatter, more agile, and collaborative structures to maintain strategic flexibility.

Generative AI has the potential to assist leaders and managers in complex managerial tasks, acting as a “thought partner”. A majority (65%) believe Gen AI can serve as a co-thinker in strategic planning, risk evaluation, and decision-making.

Despite these benefits, challenges remain.

Only 15% of leaders and managers and 20% of employees use Gen AI tools daily. The obstacles hindering the widespread adoption of Gen AI include concerns about accuracy, security, lack of clear usage guidelines, integration complexity, and skill deficits.

To build a Gen AI-augmented workforce, organizations should reevaluate roles and career pathways, redesign structures for human-AI collaboration, provide technology within governed frameworks, integrate it within business applications, and cultivate necessary technical and soft skills. Creating a culture of continuous learning and experimentation is essential. Gen AI thrives best within a broader hybrid AI ecosystem, combining traditional AI, automation, and other technologies to deliver tailored intelligence and efficiency for specific business challenges. This hybrid AI approach can unlock unparalleled intelligence and efficiency tailored to specific business challenges.

Download Gen AI at work: Shaping the future of organizations to learn more about how generative AI can be used to transform roles and responsibilities.

Re-learning leadership

Stay informed

Subscribe to have the latest reports from the Capgemini Research Institute delivered direct to your inbox.

Meet our experts

Alex brings over 20 years of experience in the tech and data space, beginning his career as a CTO in startups and later leading data science and engineering in the travel sector. Eight years ago, he joined Capgemini Invent, where he has been at the forefront of driving digital innovation and transformation for his clients. He has a strong track record in designing large-scale data ecosystems, especially within the industrial sector. Currently, as the Global Lead of Capgemini Invent’s generative AI Acceleration Lab, Alex crafts Gen AI go-to-market strategies, develops assets, upskills teams, and assists clients in scaling AI and Gen AI solutions from proof of concept to value generation.

Steve is the founder of Capgemini’s businesses in Cloud, SaaS, and Big Data, a published author in journals such as the Financial Times and IEEE Software. He is also the original creator of the first unified architecture for Big Fast Managed data, the Business Data Lake. He works with clients on delivering large-scale data solutions and the secure adoption of AI, he is the Capgemini lead for Collaborate Data Ecosystems and Trusted AI.

Recognizing the importance of people in business transformation, Claudia works with clients to reinvent the employee experience through data and technology. She uses her expertise in the people perspective of digital to understand how leadership in the digital age is evolving, how talent and workforce productivity can be transformed through automation and AI, and how to effectively engage employees throughout the transformation process.

Included in the list of management thinkers to watch by Thinkers50, Elisa is an expert on management at the intersection of academia and business. Through exploratory research, thought leadership, and academic collaborations, Elisa bridges the latest management frameworks into practice. A frequent contributor to the Harvard Business Review, Elisa has extensive experience developing and delivering executive training at leading organizations globally.

Esteemed author and frequent contributor to the Harvard Business Review, Gabriele has been researching, designing, and testing new management frameworks and tools for over a decade. Gabriele works at the intersection of strategy, innovation, and sustainability, bringing new management practices to the real world of business for clients. An experienced adviser to Fortune 500 companies, Gabriele previously worked at the European Centre for Strategic Innovation where he discovered his passion for shaping the new frontier of management.

Gen AI at work: Shaping the future of organizations

Report from the Capgemini Research Institute