A proposed perspective on how to navigate Ai in Organisations
by Marianne Frydenborg Steen
Summary in English from my Master Thesis (2026).
AI has entered organisations with the expectation of enhancing employee productivity and to harvest effectiveness gains. However, the potential gains are followed by a decline in human capabilties such as cognitive abilities, ability to focus and academic self esteem. Also, technostress, the result of an ongoing demand on employees to catch up with new tools as well as cognitive offloading leading to dependency on AI tools are docuemnted. Concerns are raised in regards of to much trust into AI decisions, despite AI has bias embedded and no one can explain how AIs conclude. While a lot of the research published is looking into the functional aspects of the modern work life, some discusses ethical and existential issues, while others mention threats to humanity.
However, it is not quite clear what kind of framework or philosophy an organisation may use that can help navigate in this new regime of AI, LLMs and algorithms. Therefor, I propose to find a perspective that can be used as a compass for organisations on how to navigate in a world where technology has become much more than a tool or an infrastructure. The threats arising from AI such as diminishing the ability to think for yourself and make your own opinions, has similarities with the threats to humanity as described by Hannah Arendt in her book The Human Condition (1958).
The idea of Arendt is that “Action” as one of the three activities for the vita activa, is necessary for humans to feel alive, and to connect with a purpose.
In this assignment I have made a comparative analysis on the impact of AI on humanity in organisations based on Arendts theory on action and natality and litterature covering research on the impact of AI on users and organisations. I argue how and why Arendts action is relevant for organisations today when implementing AI and how her theory can be used as a compass to navigate the future priorities of using AI for productivity gains without risking the loss of humanity.
Also, I discuss the importance of maintaining a trustful and human environment for innovation purposes. Finally, even though Arendts analysis on the human conditions were targeted politics and how to protect democracy, I conclude that there is a similarity between between the political realm and the organisational environment. The future perspective for an organsation implementing AI is the ability to balance a controlled environment working with AI while safeguarding and protect what is truly human. The purpose is not only to stay human but also to stay relevant through innovation.
This is not a choice of either/or but a reminder of the complexity of the impact AI as a technology has, and the awareness that needs to follow. By doing so, AI may even kindle a conversation on what humanity means, how to value human traits, and how to safeguard humanity in organisations.