Over the past few months, I’ve been exploring AI—testing tools both for myself and for Cultural Vistas. In doing so, I found myself returning to questions that dominate the headlines: What does AI mean for the future of human development—the very work our organization is built on?

To help frame both my enthusiasm and my fears, I recently caught up with Ahmet Bozer, whose new book Soulgery launches on October 25. Ahmet is no stranger to these questions. As the former President of Coca-Cola International, he led teams across cultures and continents. He has also been a friend and supporter of Cultural Vistas, most notably through his leadership of a host organization that welcomed one of our program participants. His journey bridges the global corporate stage and the deeply personal growth that comes from cultural exchange—making his perspective especially resonant for our work today.

The Human Challenge in an AI World

We are living through an unprecedented shift in human history, with the real possibility that technology—including AI—may replace many tasks. The best way to meet this challenge, Ahmet reminded me, is to discover more of what it means to be human. It is through this journey that we cultivate what cannot be digitized: creativity, curiosity, learning agility, and holistic thinking.  These qualities, rooted in our inner selves, are precisely what Soulgery prepares tomorrow’s leaders to strengthen and express.

Everywhere I turn, people are asking the same questions: Is AI going to take over? Will it make industries—and people—obsolete? These fears are real. And while AI will continue to transform how we operate, it cannot cultivate empathy, self-awareness, or purpose. Those are the things that make us human—and the things that matter most in leadership. At Cultural Vistas, we are in the human development business. Exchange is our tool.

Progress, Not Perfection.

In Soulgery, Ahmet argues that leadership is less about chasing perfection and more about embracing progress. He calls it the “AND game”: performance and growth, self-reliance and community, results and humanity. In his years as a leader, he saw that success was most sustainable when people were encouraged to grow—not just deliver.

That lesson feels even more urgent today. AI can optimize for performance, but it cannot play the “AND game.” It cannot help you ask yourself the tough leadership questions: Do I believe? Do I care? Am I developing myself? These questions—and the human qualities they cultivate—cannot be automated.

Why Exchange Still Matters

This is why international exchange is so powerful. Translation apps may remove the need to memorize vocabulary, but they cannot teach empathy. Virtual reality can simulate a city, but it cannot replace the lived experience of stumbling, adapting, and reflecting in an unfamiliar culture.

Exchanges build exactly what Soulgery celebrates—cultural agility, curiosity, resilience, and reflection. These deeply human qualities prepare leaders not just to succeed in their careers, but to flourish in a world where AI is a tool, not a replacement for humanity.

Legacy as Daily Influence

Ahmet’s expanded definition of legacy especially resonates with me: it’s not just the big things we build, but the small acts of influence we practice every day. That’s what I see in our alumni—returning home and applying their global perspective in workplaces, communities, and families. Their impact multiplies, one act at a time.

Looking Forward

As Cultural Vistas continues to explore how AI can make our work more efficient, Soulgery reminds me to keep our focus on what matters most: developing people. Technology will continue to evolve, but the essence of leadership—self-awareness, empathy, purpose—cannot be automated.

Because in the end, the future will not be defined by what machines can do.
It will be defined by what we choose to become.

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This reflection is part of my ongoing exploration of leadership in a changing global world—from conversations with Allan Goodman last month to insights from leaders like Ahmet Bozer today. As we navigate technology, complexity, and cultural change, it’s the human qualities we cultivate that will define the leaders of tomorrow.