“CEO seeking to replace creatives with AI is replaced with AI.”

This is a headline I imagine in the near distant future if corporate leaders continue to rule through greed and gross negligence of compassion for employees and customers.

Day after day, decade after decade, I have watched more than a few CEOs pit departments against each other and create an environment so toxic that profit can only be achieved through desperate measures. Decisions are not made with data and analytics, let alone compassion and empathy. They’re made with politics and ego.

The purpose of a CEO is to access all of the data companywide and bring human compassion to the most important managerial decisions the company faces. Not just with empathy but with the strength of character and foresight to guide and grow the business.

That seems like a joke compared to the captains at the helm of today’s industries, from tech and entertainment to health and retail. No one is applauding Mark Z or Elon M or Jeff B for their strong values and sense of justice.

So I say yeah, give AI a shot at the role. As a creative in advertising, I’ll take decisions made by data and analytics over Machiavellian millionaires and billionaires any day. You’d have better luck teaching an LLM how to make decisions with compassion than you would a narcissist.