Q23　Will AI make managers unnecessary?

The Short Answer

Managers who only manage will become unnecessary.

Unpacking the Question

As AI spreads, will managers become unnecessary?
My view: managers whose only job is management will steadily disappear.
Until now, a manager's work included:
Assigning tasks.
Checking progress.
Compiling reports.
Holding meetings.
"Management" work like this filled the job.
But AI excels at exactly these tasks.
It will track progress in real time,
spot problems,
and even propose the best response.
In other words, the value of management itself is shrinking.
So what should managers do?
What is needed now is not managing people.
It is drawing out their potential.
Show them the future,
back their challenges,
and create an environment where it is safe to fail.
Support each person in bringing their full, authentic strength to the work.
AI cannot take over that role.
So what survives in the AI era is not the "manager" but the "leader."
From someone who manages the work
to someone who creates the future.
That is the transformation the AI era demands of managers.

Implications for Management

AI will automate much of the work of management.
As a result, a manager's value shifts from "the ability to manage" to "the ability to unlock human potential."
The manager of the future must be not a distributor of tasks but a leader who builds an environment where employees can take on challenges.
An organization's competitiveness will be determined not by the precision of its management, but by whether it can design an environment where people create future value.

How Would You Answer?

Suppose AI took over all your progress tracking and task assignments.
What would your role become?
Someone who manages?
Or a leader who draws out human potential?