Rupali Parashar
DBA Research Scholar, Rushford Business School
Switzerland
ORCID: 0009-0003-0227-3651
Venkata Panchagnula
IBS Hyderabad, IFHE Foundation
India
ORCID: 0000-0002-6695-7572
Chirag Rasikbhai Patel
Faculty of Management Studies, Sankalchand Patel University, Visnagar
Gujarat
India
ORCID: 0000-0003-4788-0749

Type of Paper: Conceptual Paper
Received: 16 September 2026 / Revised: 17 September 2026 / Accepted: 19 September 2026 / Published: 17 October 2026
DOI: 10.47556/B.OUTLOOK2026.24.0

Purpose: The study aims to analyse and compare efficiency-oriented and sustainability-oriented governance approaches. It further examines the role of human-centred leadership in organisations in fostering sustainable Artificial Intelligence (AI) governance.
Design/Methodology/Approach: The study draws on findings from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) report and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) principles to conceptually analyse the gaps between efficiency-oriented and sustainability-oriented AI governance. It also examines how human-centred leadership can bridge these gaps to strengthen sustainable decision-making in organisations.
Findings: AI adoption is increasing among organisations in line with OECD principles, but governance arrangements are inadequate for sustainable AI governance, that is, balancing innovation with accountability and responsibility.
Originality/Value: The study proposes a Leadership-Mediated Sustainable AI Governance Transformation Framework to provide a more analytically grounded understanding of sustainable AI governance systems.
Practical Implications: The study highlights the need for organisations to strengthen leadership capabilities, governance resilience, accountability integration, and sustainability-oriented oversight alongside AI expansion.
Keywords: Human-Centred Leadership; Governance; United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation; Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development; Leadership Capability.
Citation: Parashar, R., Panchagnula, V. and Patel, C. R. (2026): Human-Centred Leadership in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Balancing AI and Human Intelligence for Sustainable Decision-Making. In Ahmed, A. (Ed.): World Sustainable Development Outlook 2026, Vol. 22, pp. xx-xx. WASD: London, United Kingdom.