When a legal-tech startup leader began using ChatGPT, the AI quickly shifted from a helpful assistant to the company’s primary decision-maker. Staff were told to consult the AI before meetings, and major company decisions were driven by chatbot suggestions, culminating in a constantly updated manual generated by AI that replaced human inquiry entirely. While AI can handle broad knowledge and rapid responses, it lacks insight into unique, context-specific human experiences essential for sound leadership decisions. This overreliance on AI threatens to erode human judgment, especially when leaders, distant from day-to-day work, overestimate AI’s capabilities and enforce its authority across organizations. Leaders must actively protect the space for human judgment by allocating time for thoughtful work, rewarding careful decision-making rather than just output, and demonstrating critical engagement with AI recommendations themselves. The strongest AI models work best when humans continually assess and own the final call, preventing the loss of an organization’s ability to think independently.
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