Human Skills and AI Collab Key to AI-Savvy Leaders
Authored by British technology philosopher and author Dr. Tom Chatfield, “Human Skills for an AI Age: How today’s business schools can develop tomorrow’s leaders” applies human emotion, critical thinking, and ethical judgment to foster AI-savvy future leaders.
April 02, 2025
Sage white paper, “Human Skills for an AI Age,” offers a framework for educators and businesses to teach skills to adapt, thrive, and lead in an AI age
In a constantly evolving Artificial Intelligence (AI) landscape, human skills and AI collaboration are key to developing tomorrow’s leaders, suggests the latest white paper from independent academic publisher, Sage. Authored by British technology philosopher and author Dr. Tom Chatfield, “ Human Skills for an AI Age: How today’s business schools can develop tomorrow’s leaders” applies human emotion, critical thinking, and ethical judgment to foster AI-savvy future leaders.
Chatfield explains that as AI accelerates—most notably in the form of generative AI and machine learning—business schools and beyond will need to learn its capabilities and be able to think critically to leverage AI-human strengths and cultivate collaborative leadership. To support this approach, the paper introduces the DUAL framework for educators and students to build skills to adapt, thrive and lead in the face of AI challenges and opportunities.
DUAL framework in brief:
- Demystify AI: Understand the capabilities and limitations of AI systems to use them effectively.
- Upskill critical thinking: Teach critical thinking to mitigate risks and maximize human potential.
- Augment human abilities: Design workflows that leverage AI to enhance human creativity and judgment.
- Lead through collaboration: Cultivate collaborative leadership models that integrate AI and human expertise.
“AI-human collaboration is the key to success for future leaders,” said Chatfield. “All learning environments need to teach students how to learn, lead, and create value in an age of AI. They’ll need to adopt the dual capabilities of humans and AI, working together and with humans in the driving seat, rather than a mutually diminishing duel between us and machines.”
The paper makes it clear that in an age of AI, success depends on oversight and critical engagement with AI to navigate its complexities responsibly. Takeaways for learning environments are:
- Start by integrating AI literacy into existing courses, use AI tools for specific tasks, and develop clear guidelines on AI usage.
- Consider developing new modules or courses, create interdisciplinary projects, and revise assessment methods.
- Over the long-term, redesign curricula, create collaborative learning spaces, and foster a culture of continuous learning.
“As an independent publisher, Sage is deeply invested in developing critical thinking skills through our resources to benefit students in the classroom and the real world, and this work is more important than ever in the age of generative AI,” said Ziyad Marar, President of Global Publishing at Sage.
“To become AI-savvy leaders, students and educators will need to hone critical thinking skills to evaluate and analyze AI outputs and to apply human judgement, combining the emotion and intelligence that machines lack. Tom Chatfield has over the years reflected deeply and insightfully on the relationship between technology and human values. In this paper, he provides a practical framework on how to do this vital work.”
This year, Sage celebrates 60 years of independence, publishing resources that advance disciplines, cultivate critical thinking in the classroom, and drive social change, such as the Human Skills for an AI Age white paper.
More AI content from Sage: AI and Academic Excellence webinar, hosted by Tom Chatfield and Leo Lo or explore www.sagepub.com/explore-our-content.
