AI is not just a technical shift—it is an identity, responsibility, and systems shift for leadership. In a wonderful article published in the Academy of Management Review, Vol. 46, No. 1, 192-210 Raisch & Krakowski (2021) discuss the dynamics at the heart of Artificial Intelligence and Management.

I got some initial help from AI to summarize – and then added some thoughts/insights. Essentially, the authors provide reinforcement about the importance of gaining and sustaining organizational and societal well-being through leaders who can:

  • See interdependent realities rather than false choices
  • Resist the seduction of simplistic “solutions”
  • Design systems that elevate both humanity and technological capability
  • Stay accountable for outcomes even when machines take action

The authors conclude that the future of AI in management will be shaped not by the technology alone but by our capacity to hold the paradox (polarity!).

Automation (Pole A)

  • Machines execute tasks previously done by humans
  • Increases efficiency, speed, and cost-effectiveness
  • Reduces inconsistency and some forms of human bias

Downside when over-relied on: deskilling, rigidity, loss of human judgment, over-dependency on systems, inequitable or biased algorithmic outcomes.

Augmentation (Pole B)

  • Humans + machines collaborate
  • Strengthens creativity, contextual insight, and adaptability
  • Enhances learning by integrating computational intelligence with intuition

Downside when over-relied on: inefficiency, inconsistency, variable reliability, increased human bias carried into systems, escalating resource investment.

The pattern this article surfaces:

Whenever organizations swing toward just automation or just augmentation, predictable reinforcing loops form—vicious cycles that amplify cost, risk, and consequences.

Over-Focusing on Automation

  • Initial efficiency gains
  • Loss of human expertise
  • Tech biases persist or worsen/Over-reliance on rigid systems
  • Inability to adapt when the environment shifts

Over-Focusing on Augmentation

  • High resource demands
  • Human biases persist or worsen
  • Failure leads to doubling down
  • Escalating inconsistency

Much of the early literature urged leaders to choose a stance: either automate or augment. But the deeper story—and the one most relevant to leaders navigating disruption—is that automation and augmentation are not choices. They are a polarity. This article discusses automation and augmentation as interdependent truths, each bringing essential upsides and predictable downsides. When leaders frame them as an either/or decision, they fuel the very cycles that later undermine performance, morale, and societal trust. When leaders learn to leverage the tension, they unlock benefits neither pole can deliver on its own, over time.

When organizations adopt a both/and stance—differentiating the strengths of each, integrating at their edges—they generate virtuous cycles: better decisions, more adaptive systems, fairer outcomes, and greater societal benefit.

Leveraging Both

  • Automation frees capacity for deeper human work
  • Humans refine machine learning models
  • Machines expand humans’ analytic reach
  • Humans contextualize decisions beyond what machines can see

The authors essentially call upon leaders to:

  • Accept the automation–augmentation tension as ongoing and unsolvable
  • See the dynamic interdependence across tasks, time horizons, and organizational layers
  • Design for differentiation (where one pole should lead)
  • Integrate for complementarity (where both must interact)
  • Retain human responsibility for decisions, ethics, and context
  • Develop capacity, not just technology

 

Quick Aside –
Additional Polarity Tensions Cited that Form a *Multarity™

In Chapter 42 of “And: How to leverage polarity, paradox, and dilemma, Volume 2, Applications.”) I describe *“Multarity™”

*Interdependencies of more than two poles,
which synergistically contribute to a greater purpose
that is more than the sum of the parts.

Efficiency AND Innovation

Automation increases stability and speed; augmentation drives exploration and adaptability.

Consistency AND Contextual Judgment

Machines create predictable processes; humans provide nuance, values, and situational awareness.

Human Bias Reduction AND Algorithmic Bias Reduction

Automation removes some human bias; augmentation allows humans to catch machine bias.

Short-term Optimization AND Long-term Capability Building

Automation frees resources now; augmentation develops capabilities for the future.

These nested polarities map perfectly onto the predictable patterns leaders experience when adopting new technologies.

This is the leadership capacity and capability required to recognize, navigate, and leverage the multarity.

What we offer at Polarity Partnerships, are tools like the Polarity Map™ and 5-Step Process (Seeing, Mapping, Assessing, Learning, and Leveraging) to support leaders, teams, and organizations. And, what organizations measure and track tend to get accomplished — and for that using our customized Polarity Assessment platform may be helpful to integrate into strategy and operations.

If your leaders, teams, and organization needs support that leverages these polarities — as a Multarity – let’s partner!