Recent study

Leadership determines the acceptance of AI

The digital skills of executives are crucial to the acceptance of AI, for example in decision-making. This is shown by a study conducted by the Center for Leadership and Behavior in Organizations (CLBO) at Goethe University Frankfurt in collaboration with the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI), F.A.Z. Digital Economy, and Groß & Cie. More than 1,000 employees in Germany participated in the large-scale study.

Companies are increasingly relying on artificial intelligence to support or even automate decision-making. But how do employees perceive such AI-supported decisions, and what role do executives play in the acceptance of AI? How much trust is placed in AI, and in which areas of responsibility? What are the factors that promote the use of and trust in AI? The study provides detailed insights for the first time:

  • AI should not influence one’s own career: While applications such as IT support or text summarization enjoy high acceptance, trust is significantly lower when AI intervenes in personnel decisions or performance evaluations.
  • AI should not make autonomous decisions: From the employees’ perspective, it makes little difference whether a manager decides alone or with the help of AI; as soon as AI makes autonomous decisions, acceptance drops noticeably.
  • Managers view AI positively: Managers rate AI applications consistently more positively than employees—even in legally sensitive areas. AI is perceived as an important support for their own leadership work, for example when recommending promotions.

Digital leadership makes the difference

A decisive factor for acceptance is the behavior of managers. For the first time, the study demonstrates in such depth the importance of managers’ digital skills for the success of AI implementation. Particularly interesting:

  • Digital Leadership: When employees rate their direct manager as skilled in digital leadership, they are also more open to using AI tools themselves.
  • Identity Leadership: So-called identity leadership—that is, the creation of a shared sense of unity by managers—is also relevant to success: Those who perceive their manager as fostering a sense of identity are also more willing to accept digital technologies such as AI.

Implications for Companies

The study’s authors recommend that companies prioritize communication, transparency, and leadership when introducing AI systems. “AI can make decision-making processes more efficient—but it also changes the power structure within the company,” says Prof. Rolf van Dick of the CLBO. “Those who introduce AI must also invest in leadership quality and psychological safety.” The first step is to assess the existing willingness of managers and employees to use AI. Truly accepting AI as a colleague on equal footing is not a given when it comes to one’s own work and career.

HERE you will find more facts and figures about the study, including illustrations of the key findings.

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