“A machine cannot think about the essence.”| Sustainability, Honestly with Viktor Lénárt (Episode 14)

In this episode, we explored the challenges facing sustainable organizations of the future and the role of artificial intelligence in organizational development. Viktor Lénárt and Katalin Szomolányi discussed why postponing AI integration may create an irreversible competitive disadvantage and why organizations need to fundamentally redesign their processes instead of merely layering automation onto existing workflows. They examined how leadership roles are changing, why new positions such as the AI Officer are becoming essential, and why providing human context to machines is critical for effective collaboration.

The conversation also addressed the synergies emerging from intergenerational collaboration, where experience and technological expertise meet through mentoring and reverse mentoring, as well as the importance of integrating neurodivergent employees into the workplace. Finally, they discussed why continuous hands-on experimentation with AI is indispensable and why leaders must deliberately allocate time and resources for learning—even when that learning involves frustration.

This episode explores the emergence of more autonomous learning organizations, the development of harmonious collaboration between humans and intelligent machines, and why systems-level human thinking will remain the most important leadership capability in the age of algorithms.

KS:
Many organizations are still taking a wait-and-see approach to AI, saying they’ll address it in a year or two. How risky is this delay?

VL:
Using artificial intelligence is no longer optional—it has become a necessity. Organizations that fail to adopt it will soon be unable to remain competitive. What currently appears in the market as hesitation or cautious observation will arrive like a tsunami around 2027–2028. Companies that postpone engaging with AI for two years will fall irreversibly behind.

As long as one company manages its information in spreadsheets or simple databases, an AI-enabled competitor will already have a system that transcribes conversations on the way back from a client meeting, automatically updates the CRM, and prepares the contract before the employee even returns to the office. That gap can no longer be closed through human effort alone.

KS:
How should organizations use AI in organizational development and everyday operations? Is it enough simply to perform existing tasks more quickly?

VL:
That is precisely one of the biggest mistakes. Many organizations simply add AI as another layer on top of existing processes, believing that they are now analyzing Excel spreadsheets faster. The real value of AI is not automation itself but augmentation—the expansion of human capabilities.

AI enables us to accomplish things that were previously impossible. In the past, integrating the results of a 360-degree leadership assessment with an organizational climate survey and the company’s strategic objectives required an enormous amount of manual work. Today, AI can analyze these massive datasets simultaneously, allowing us to identify exactly where interventions are needed and which leaders or teams should be developed to support strategic priorities.

KS:
Many people fear dehumanization—that machines will replace their jobs or undermine human relationships at work. How can organizations introduce AI without damaging their culture?

VL:
If we simply insert AI into old processes, we really do risk dehumanizing the workplace. Employees will naturally feel that the technology is there to replace them and eliminate their roles.

For AI to become a constructive force rather than a destructive one, its implementation cannot be treated merely as an IT project. It must be approached as a comprehensive organizational development and change management initiative. Organizations need to rethink how they operate from the ground up and create new roles, such as the AI Officer, whose responsibility is to orchestrate the integration of technological and human capabilities while ensuring that employees come to view AI not as a threat, but as a collaborative partner in thinking and problem-solving.