Artificial intelligence is transforming not only business processes but also the demands placed on leadership, decision-making and collaboration. The lecture “AI Meets Leadership,” delivered by Mag.a Simone Scholz to students in the Management & Entrepreneurship Study Programs at FHWien der WKW, focused precisely on these challenges.
Drawing on her many years of experience as a data scientist at A1 Telekom Austria and her current role as an AI trainer and strategist, Simone Scholz shared practical insights into the strategic use of AI in organizations. The discussion focused on topics such as the responsible use of AI, “Fair AI”, “Female AI” and the skills that leaders will need in the future.
The use of AI in daily academic life
The discussions and reflections clearly demonstrated just how prevalent AI already is in everyday academic and professional life:
Students in particular perceive AI as a “game changer” for efficiency, structuring and knowledge processing. At the same time, risks such as hallucinations, loss of quality, dependency, data protection and the loss of critical thinking were the subject of intense reflection. During the discussion, many students emphasized that AI primarily supports routine tasks, summarization and structuring processes — but that responsibility, interpretation and final decision-making must remain with humans. Equally fascinating was the discussion surrounding the shift from operational activities toward the management, interpretation and critical evaluation of AI-generated results. Furthermore, the growing importance of skills such as critical thinking, prompting, the ability to reflect and digital judgment was highlighted repeatedly.
Student perspectives on AI
A few statements sum up the discussion particularly well:
“AI should support, but not replace.”
“Personal creativity and independent thinking remain crucial.”
“AI excels in speed and structuring — but falls short in contextual sensitivity and accountability.”
“In the future, leaders will increasingly become enablers and strategic orchestrators.”
Many found the exploration of AI-generated images and deepfakes particularly compelling, as well as the discussion surrounding the “Gender AI Gap” and the societal impacts of technological developments.
Martina Zöbl organized this lecture for the Bachelor’s and Master’s students in the Management & Entrepreneurship Study Programs. Many thanks to Simone Scholz for the thought-provoking insights, critical perspectives and practical discussion on a topic that will have a lasting impact on business, management and higher education.
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