As artificial intelligence reshapes how we think, decide and act, the question is no longer simply what technology can do, but what we must continue to cultivate in ourselves.
Artificial intelligence is advancing at a pace that challenges our assumptions about knowledge, decision-making and human capability. As machines become increasingly capable of analysing information, generating ideas and supporting complex decisions, an important question emerges: what does it mean to lead well when intelligence is no longer exclusively human?
This question sits at the heart of Leadership in the AI Era, an international convening series led by the Menzies Leadership Foundation in collaboration with the Aspen Institute Socrates Program.
Through a series of invitation-only, Socratic dialogues, the initiative brings together people from technology, business, policy, academia, the arts and civil society to explore the human dimensions of a rapidly changing technological world.
Four convenings have now taken place — beginning in New York in July, followed by Canberra, Sydney and Singapore in October 2026 — with further conversations planned in Oxford and Palo Alto.
While the settings and perspectives differ, the conversations are connected by a central proposition - As AI becomes more capable, human capability cannot be left to chance.
From technological capability to human capability
Much of the public conversation about AI focuses on what machines will be able to do, which tasks they might replace and how institutions can adapt.
These are important questions. But they are not sufficient.
An equally consequential question is what happens to human capability as more of our thinking, judgement and decision-making is increasingly supported, influenced or undertaken by intelligent systems.
Capabilities such as discernment, ethical judgement, curiosity, empathy and the ability to navigate uncertainty are not simply qualities we possess. They are developed and strengthened through experience, reflection, relationships and practice.
If technology changes how we exercise these capabilities, we must become more deliberate about how we cultivate them.
This is not simply a question of adapting leadership to AI. It is about understanding what we need to preserve, strengthen and develop in ourselves as technology becomes more capable.
An international inquiry
- How do we preserve human agency when intelligent systems increasingly inform our choices?
- What forms of judgement, responsibility and discernment must remain distinctly human?
- How might our reliance on AI change the way we learn, relate to others and exercise leadership?
- What must we continue to practise, even when technology offers an easier path?
