Human values — not algorithms — should define future of leadership, innovation and workplace well-being
The National Leadership Institute (NLI) hosted Breaking Barriers III: AI vs EI – The Savior of Business on Sunday at the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Cultural Center. Held under the patronage of Minister of State for Communication Affairs Omar Saud Al-Omar, the conference provided a high-profile platform to explore how innovation and leadership must evolve in an era increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence.
In his remarks, Al-Omar emphasized that while AI offers powerful tools for analysis and performance, emotional intelligence remains essential to ensure technology serves humanity rather than becoming an end in itself. “We must harmonize technological progress with human values and responsibility,” he said.
He highlighted the New Kuwait 2035 vision, which aims to build a knowledge-based, diversified economy and strengthen digital integration across all sectors. He noted that the ministry of communications supports this vision by developing infrastructure, enabling smart transformation and fostering innovation among national talents.
NLI CEO Mohammad Al-Khulaifi said AI has become an integral part of professional and personal life, transforming the business landscape at unprecedented speed. This year’s conference, he explained, focused on balancing AI’s analytical and innovative power with emotional intelligence, which embodies human understanding and empathy — traits essential for effective leadership.
“The conference provided a unique platform for participants to engage in specialized sessions led by prominent local and international speakers,” he said. “Discussions centered on creating a new leadership paradigm that combines technology with human values, logic with emotion and efficiency with humanity.”
Al-Khulaifi added that the event underscores the institute’s role in supporting Kuwait’s knowledge-based economy by fostering interactive environments for personal and professional development, nurturing leadership skills and building essential competencies to keep pace with the rapidly evolving global job market.
Overdependence fears
During a session on “The Future of AI in Leadership” with UAE Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications Omar Al-Olama, moderator Abdullah Boftain — Managing Partner of Kuwait News and Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Kuwait Times — shared his perspective on AI’s risks, not to jobs, but to human emotional intelligence. “I am not afraid AI will take my job,” he said. “What worries me is that my children may lose their emotional intelligence, become overly dependent on AI and even develop an addiction to it.”
Boftain also spoke with the Emirati minister about leadership qualities in the AI era, noting that technology now shapes how people perceive authority. “Previously, we sought leaders with charisma. Now, technology may overshadow emotional intelligence in how we choose leaders,” he warned. He praised the UAE’s leadership in the global AI race, highlighting the country’s goal to expand AI solution providers by over 500 percent, reaching 10,000 companies by 2030.
Al-Olama affirmed that AI has become an essential part of daily life, influencing learning, work and personal decision-making. The biggest challenge, he noted, is overreliance on AI, which can weaken critical thinking and blur the line between fact and opinion. He emphasized the need to redesign traditional education systems to keep pace with the digital revolution, integrating AI tools with intentional, mindful learning while maintaining practices such as writing with pen and paper to support multi-sensory development.
Emotional and social intelligence, he stressed, remain as important as technical knowledge — particularly in Arab societies where collaboration and community underpin workplace success. Effective leadership, he said, requires continuous development, humility, charisma and adaptability. He added that the UAE leads global rankings in attracting and retaining AI talent and is already home to more than 1,200 AI-focused companies, with a target of 10,000 by 2030.
AI, Al-Olama noted, is improving the quality of life through innovations such as smart airports and digitally integrated services. “Every traditional business must transform into a digital one to remain competitive,” he said.
Bestselling author and leading expert in EI Dr John Gray
Affiliate Professor at ESCP Business School and Hult Business School Andrea Cosentino
John Gray, speaking during a session of the Breking Barriers conference, titled “emotion intelligence in the age of AI” at Sheikh Jaber al-Ahmad cultural center in Kuwait City on November 16, 2025.
Global Director of AI Product at Scale AI Dr. Mohamad Shaaban
