As artificial intelligence takes on a greater role in the enterprise, technology leaders are being asked to rethink more than their technology strategies. They must also consider what happens to the people whose work, skills, and professional identities are being reshaped by automation.
The challenge is no longer simply determining what AI can do. It’s deciding what people should continue to do, how their roles will evolve, and how leaders can guide them through a transition that remains deeply uncertain.
During a session at Gartner’s annual IT Symposium, VP analyst Alicia Mullery argued that organizations need to make deliberate decisions about the human capabilities they want to preserve, rather than allowing technology to define those boundaries.
“The far superior question to ask is what do we want to protect for humans?” Mullery told attendees.
It’s a question that places leadership, rather than technology, at the center of AI transformation.
What do we want to protect for humans?
Alicia Mullery
Protecting What Makes Work Human
Gartner’s research suggests that many technology leaders may be overlooking the very capabilities their organizations will need to navigate an AI-driven future.
In its CIO Talent Planning for 2026 Survey, just 45% of respondents identified critical thinking as essential for IT staff in an AI-augmented environment. Only 25% cited ethical judgment, while 26% prioritized change leadership.
These findings point to a potential disconnect between the pace of AI adoption and the attention being given to the human skills necessary to support it.
For Amy Farrow, CIO of Celigo, the conversation begins with understanding what gives work its value and meaning.
“I think every organization needs to think deeply about, in their function, what the kind of craft is in that function,” Farrow told The National CIO Review during the Gartner conference.
Every role has elements that require experience, creativity, judgment, and personal investment. While AI can eliminate repetitive responsibilities, leaders must be careful not to automate away the aspects of work that employees find most meaningful.
Farrow cautioned that removing those elements while leaving behind less rewarding responsibilities can make it harder for employees to embrace change.
The leadership opportunity, then, is not simply to identify efficiencies. It’s to help people understand how their work can become more valuable as technology evolves.
Leadership Through Uncertainty
That requires a different approach to workforce transformation.
Mullery outlined a framework encouraging leaders to protect essential capabilities, release skills that are becoming less necessary, and develop new ones for an AI-augmented environment.
But letting go of established skills is not always easy. For employees who have spent years developing expertise, automation can challenge their sense of professional identity and the value they bring to an organization.
Farrow believes leaders should involve employees directly in shaping that transition.
“If you co-create, you’re going to also get to a better divide, buy-in, and outcome,” she said.
Rather than prescribing changes from the top down, leaders have an opportunity to engage their teams in identifying which responsibilities should remain human, which can be automated, and where new capabilities are needed.
That approach also requires patience and a willingness to invest in individual development.
Farrow emphasized the importance of showing employees what success looks like, giving them opportunities to experiment, and supporting them as they develop new skills.
Increasingly, she looks for qualities such as curiosity, adaptability, comfort with ambiguity, and relationship-building, behaviors that can help employees navigate roles that may continue to change.
The Wrap
AI may be transforming how work gets done, but leadership will determine how successfully people navigate that transformation.
For leaders, the responsibility extends beyond introducing new capabilities or improving productivity. It includes protecting human judgment, preserving meaningful work, and creating an environment where employees feel equipped to evolve alongside technology.
The organizations that succeed won’t necessarily be those that automate the most. They’ll be those whose leaders understand where technology creates value, where people remain essential, and how to bring the two together.
Ultimately, the human element of AI isn’t something leaders can afford to address after implementation. It must be part of the strategy from the beginning.
