How will Artificial Intelligence reshape the way we organize work and lead teams?
In a recent episode of the Austrian AI Podcast, Prof. Phanish Puranam (INSEAD) – the 2025 Oskar Morgenstern Medal Laureate – shares why human-centric AI is crucial for organizations to remain competitive in future markets. His reflections provide an inspiring preview of his upcoming Public Lecture “Designing Organizations in the Age of Algorithms” at the Faculty of Business, Economics and Statistics on 9 October 2025.
In the conversation with the Austrian AI Podcast, Prof. Puranam highlights that technology itself is neutral – it provides “affordances” that can be used in very different ways: "Investing today, into human-centric AI that enhances employees capabilities will provide key competitive advantages in the future."
A central theme of the discussion is the long-standing tension between centralization and decentralization in organizations. Technologies such as AI or collaboration platforms like Slack or Asana can either empower employees to act autonomously or enable managers to exert tighter control and monitoring.
The difference lies not in the tools themselves, but in the design choices that shape how they are used.
Puranam argues that as organizations adopt more AI-driven tools, the challenge is to design them in ways that preserve human trust, motivation, and learning capacity – key ingredients for thriving in the digital age.
This focus on the interface between human collaboration and advanced technology is one of the reasons why Prof. Puranam is being honored with the 7th Oskar Morgenstern Medal.
His research brings together analytical rigor and practical relevance, helping leaders in business, government, and international organizations adapt to an increasingly complex, interconnected, and technology-driven world.
These questions will be at the heart of his Public Lecture “Designing Organizations in the Age of Algorithms”, following the official Oskar Morgenstern Medal Award Ceremony.
Event information
Award Ceremony
Date: 9. October 2025
Time: 14:00 - 15:00
Place: Sky Lounge (12.OG), Faculty of Business, Economics and Statistics, 1090 Vienna
Public Lecture "Designing Organizations in the Age of Algorithms"
Date: 9. October 2025
Time: 14:00 - 15:00
Place: Sky Lounge (12.OG), Faculty of Business, Economics and Statistics, 1090 Vienna
