Are We Automating Away Our Humanity? The Leadership Question AI Cannot Answer

This episode of the Impactful Teamwork podcast explores whether organisations are “automating our way out of humanity” as AI accelerates.

Julia highlights rare agreement among AI leaders—Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, and Elon Musk—on the need to pace AI development, noting Amodei’s argument that governance and safeguards are lagging behind capability.

The episode argues the biggest AI leadership challenge is human, not technological: efficiency can become a dangerous addiction, and outsourcing friction may also outsource connection, trust, empathy, and wisdom.

Drawing on King Charles’ comments about “emotional excellence” and nature’s balance, plus lessons from horse herds, it proposes leaders anticipate what AI changes, intentionally design what AI handles vs. what remains human, and implement through experimentation while measuring impacts on connection and thinking.

00:55 AI Moving Too Fast

03:10 Wisdom Over Efficiency

06:42 Harmony And Humanity

09:35 Horses And Connection

12:13 The Great AI Paradox

15:07 Reinventing Leadership Teams

18:30 Implementing AI Wisely

21:09 Nature Seasons And Pause