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Business managers should not see artificial intelligence as a \u201csilver bullet\u201d to replace strong leadership at their companies, a conference in Edinburgh has heard. <\/p>\n
While some tasks would no longer be undertaken by humans, AI should be used to drive value and enhance the role of employees.<\/p>\n
Alex Van Sant of Accenture, speaking on AI\u2019s impact on the future workforce at DataFest 2026, said: \u201cBusiness leaders only see it as a tech challenge. It is a people challenge. It makes the role of leaders more important.\u201d<\/p>\n
She said managers had to take responsibility for building their own AI knowledge and should provide the tools and space for AI required by their workforce.<\/p>\n
Giving an example of a manager using AI to send automated emails to an employee, she said: \u201cDo not lose the human touch. Choose what you are using AI for.\u201d She warned against losing trust and integrity by mis-using AI.<\/p>\n
David McFarlane of Capco said simply: \u201cAI is not a silver bullet. Understand leadership and use AI to drive value.\u201d <\/p>\n
Responding to questions about how students should be prepared for this changing work environment, he said: \u201cWe have a generation that is technically savvy\u201d, adding that they needed to learn how to use these digital skills in the AI world.<\/p>\n
He also warned managers against running before they could walk. \u201cOrganisations want to jump straight to AI solutions. They need to build out core skills,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Aaron Edgar of Teradata agreed: \u201cAsk if the foundations are in place,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The sold-out two-day conference at the Assembly Rooms, organised by the DataLab, has attracted 600 delegates. <\/p>\n Today (Thursday), Dex Hunter-Torricke, a two-decade veteran of the global tech industry \u2013 who has worked at the highest levels alongside Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Eric Schmidt and others \u2013 will explore a different model for leadership that is now emerging.<\/p>\n He will say that the leaders who thrive in the coming decades \u201cwill be systems thinkers in a world of siloed institutions, coalition builders in an era of fracture and those who can connect cutting-edge tools with a compelling human story and theory of change for the world around us.\u201d<\/p>\n Another session will ask whether the public sector is ready to adopt AI to improve services and unlock innovation. <\/p>\n A panel will look at how AI is reshaping music, art, writing and design The day will conclude with a talk by one of the most influential internet pioneers of our time.<\/p>\n Jimmy Wales, the founder of Wikipedia, will take part in a fireside chat on trust, truth and the future of information in the AI era.<\/p>\n \t <\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/dailybusinessgroup.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/The-Data-Lab-at-DataFest.png\")