Artificial Intelligence: How Middle Management Executives Gain a Competitive Advantage
The higher the position, the greater the expectation of AI competence. A top headhunter exclusively reveals which questions he uses to test this – and when he immediately dismisses applicants.
The job market for leadership positions is changing due to artificial intelligence (KI) and economic uncertainty. According to the Bundesagentur für Arbeit, there was a 14.3% increase in unemployed leadership personnel in 2025 compared to the previous year. A study by the Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB) found that 67% of leadership tasks can be replaced by algorithms, with middle management being particularly vulnerable.
Headhunter Bernhard Stieger of Spencer Stuart, which recently filled the CEO position at Biontech, says that KI is changing the requirements for leadership and that candidates must demonstrate strategic judgment, learning agility, and the ability to translate technology into leadership and business.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's report — not a translation of it. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- Artificial Intelligence: "We can't control these agents even today" handelsblatt.com
