Leading in the Age of AI
Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a buzzword reserved for tech circles. It is reshaping business, careers, and even how we prepare for the workforce. That reality came into focus at the Weikel Speaker Series on September 4, 2025, where Matt Seitz, Director of the AI Hub for Business at the Wisconsin School of Business, shared his perspective on the opportunities and challenges AI presents for future leaders. Matt brings over 30 years of leadership in AI, data analytics, and digital transformation. His extensive experience at Google and other major organizations uniquely positions him to share deep insights on leveraging AI to solve complex challenges and foster growth.
As an MBA student in the audience, I found myself both inspired and grounded. Inspired because of AI’s potential to transform industries, and grounded because of the responsibility business leaders hold in guiding that transformation.
The Scale and Speed of AI
Matt began by putting AI’s growth into perspective with numbers that were hard to ignore. Companies are investing more than $400 billion annually in AI infrastructure, a figure larger than the GDP of South Africa. Nearly two-thirds of U.S. venture funding now flows into AI startups.
Even more striking is the pace of adoption. While personal computers took 12 years to reach 50% of households, and smartphones just six, AI hit that milestone in under three years. The message was clear: AI is not a slow-moving trend. It is here now and advancing quickly.
AI and the Role of Judgment
Matt described his first experience with a chatbot, noting how it could create new content rather than just retrieve information. Unlike calculators or Google searches, AI systems operate higher up on Bloom’s hierarchy of learning: analyzing, synthesizing, and even creating. That is why interacting with AI can feel almost magical.
But with those capabilities come limits. A 90% accuracy rate may be fine for marketing, but unacceptable in healthcare or aviation. As future leaders, our role is to know when “good enough” is truly enough, and when the risks are too high.
AI and the Future of Work
Much of the discussion turned to jobs, a concern many of us share as students preparing to enter the workforce. Matt argued that AI will reshape jobs rather than eliminate them.
He pointed to self-driving trucks as an example. Forecasts once predicted mass displacement of truck drivers. Yet only about 8% of routes are expected to be automated in the next decade. Why? Because truck drivers do much more than steer. They inspect cargo, complete paperwork, reroute shipments, and maintain relationships. Technology may automate pieces of the role, but the human element remains essential.