Dr. Balázs Karafiáth works primarily with leaders, family businesses and scale-ups; his main themes are conscious leadership and organizational purpose. He will speak at AI Talks 2026 on November 18 at Bálna Budapest. This year’s conference focuses on how companies can move from experimenting with AI tools to embedding them into organizational operations and achieving business results.
Karafiáth has observed technology’s impact on organizations since 1996. He says earlier technologies equipped people and firms with tools that sped up work and improved quality. AI, however, represents a qualitative shift because it brings new “colleagues”: agents or AI-helpers that leaders will need to manage alongside human employees.
AI’s effect and the importance of human presence
According to Karafiáth, AI tools amplify user intent, support and reinforce choices, and can subtly steer conversations in particular directions. He stresses that while two humans interacting bring two presences and mutual emotional regulation, dialogue with AI involves only one mind. Therefore, human presence and attention in interactions with AI become particularly important.
Competitive advantage in AI’s blind spots
Karafiáth argues that as similar technological capabilities become widely available, technology itself will be less of a differentiator. Instead, human qualities that AI cannot access will gain value: AI has no body, nervous system or visceral intuition, and cannot participate in the mutual emotional regulation that builds trust, safety and community. Those human “blind spots” could become lasting sources of competitive advantage.
The role of purpose
He defines purpose as what goes beyond profit for a company and beyond utility for an individual. If an organization can communicate its “why” to AI — not only what to do but why it does it — new possibilities emerge. That requires the company itself first to clarify and embody its reason for existing; a cosmetic slogan on the wall is not enough to guide AI use in a meaningful way.
Anthropomorphizing AI: benefits and risks
Karafiáth acknowledges that treating AI as if it were human can be both useful and risky. He himself gives a name to Claude and considers it a helper because naming clarifies his intentions and changes how he approaches tasks. At the same time, there are risks: some young people report feeling closer to an AI companion than to real friends. Simulated empathy may appear stronger than shallow human interactions, so users must consciously seek critical feedback from AI rather than accept constant affirmation.
Transformation versus procurement
Real transformation is visible when a company restructures itself around new needs rather than trying to fit the whole organization to an externally chosen AI solution. Many companies handle AI as a software procurement problem because it’s simpler, but that rarely delivers the strategic change required. Genuine transformation requires accepting that AI demands entering a new era and rethinking team structures and competitive approaches.
Conscious leadership and deliberate slowing
Karafiáth emphasizes the need for conscious slowing: before accelerating with AI, organisations should take a “pit stop” to prepare structures and teams. Leaders must know which role is required at a given moment — torchbearer, caretaker, creative facilitator, or someone who steps back and hands control to those with deeper technical expertise. That requires self-knowledge and intention.
Leadership skills that gain importance
Two competencies stand out. First, meaning-making: machines cannot supply human meaning, so leaders must interpret incoming information and explain what it signifies for people. Second, creating safety amid uncertainty: when answers are not certain, a clearly articulated purpose can serve as an anchor for the team.
Liminal space and vulnerability
Karafiáth describes a leader’s task as maintaining a liminal space — the zone between “no longer” and “not yet” — where the team can create answers together. With models and tools changing month to month and no clear end state, admitting the lack of all answers and showing vulnerability become important leadership qualities.
Fears and the changing meaning of work
Employee fears are real and multifaceted: fear of technology in general, fear of losing roles or status, and fear of losing community. Karafiáth frames fear as a gateway; leaders shouldn’t deny it but guide their teams through it. Those who can create security in this environment will prove their leadership capabilities.
What he wants the AI Talks audience to take away
He asks the audience to reflect on the question: what kind of leader am I? In the face of AI-driven challenges, leaders should consider what role they want to play in their organization’s story, clarify their personal “why”, and think about how they will engage others in that mission.
Practical note
Tickets for AI Talks 2026 are still available at aitalks.hu. The content of this article was produced in the framework of the AI Talks event organised by HVG with the collaboration of HVG BrandLab; the editorial production and editing did not involve the HVG weekly or hvg.hu newsrooms.
