Forum highlights leadership as defining force in AI

“The most important factor for a successful transition to artificial intelligence is the understanding and commitment of top management.”

Speaking at the Dong-A Business Forum 2025 on December 4 at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul’s Jung District, Tom Davenport, a professor at Babson College, underscored leadership as the decisive ingredient for an effective shift to AI. He emphasized that success will not come from merely adopting advanced technologies. Instead, he said, corporate leaders must fully recognize the scale of AI’s impact and the breadth of its potential applications, while also demonstrating the resolve to drive large-scale investments and sustained innovation.

Davenport noted that many organizations are channeling nearly all of their budgets into technology adoption. He said they move as quickly as a rabbit when it comes to acquiring new tools but as slowly as a turtle when it comes to cultural adaptation. According to Davenport, reshaping business models in the age of AI rests squarely on the shoulders of senior executives. He stressed that leaders must reconsider every aspect of their organizations, from day-to-day operations to long-term strategy and the very foundation of their business models.

In an afternoon keynote address, George Friedman, chairman of Geopolitical Futures, said South Korea must position itself as a mediator between the United States and China as global power structures continue to shift. He argued that in an era of self-preservation and realignment, South Korea’s weapon for survival is not ideology but agility. Friedman added that only "geopolitical agility," defined as discarding outdated assumptions and adjusting strategy to match changing realities, can steer the country toward long-term prosperity.

The forum, co-hosted by The Dong-A Ilbo and Channel A, was held under the theme “The turbulent world order and AI innovation, the new coordinates of leadership in this era.” David Edelman, a fellow at Harvard Business School, Martin Reeves, chairman of the Boston Consulting Group Henderson Institute, Rebecca Karp, a professor at Harvard University, and Manfred Kirchgeorg, a professor at HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management, took part in the event and outlined strategies for leadership and innovation in the age of AI.


백상경 baek@donga.com