2026-05-10T13:06:29.877Z http://ezaposleni.singidunum.ac.rs/rest/sciNaucniRezultati/oai

ezaposleni.singidunum.ac.rs/rest/sciNaucniRezultati/oai:2:11910 2026-04-30T19:32:41Z 2

AI Leadership Without Integration: Evidence of Human–AI Misalignment in Innovation Processes and Outcomes 2026 http://ezaposleni.singidunum.ac.rs/rest/sciNaucniRezultati/oai/record/2/11910 https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4060/7/5/72 A. Vujko A. Ignjatović Pertini first_pagesettingsOrder Article Reprints This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon. Open AccessArticle AI Leadership Without Integration: Evidence of Human–AI Misalignment in Innovation Processes and Outcomes by Aleksandar Ignjatović Pertini 1ORCID andAleksandra Vujko 2,*ORCID 1 Belgrade School of Engineering Management, Beopolis University, Bulevar Vojvode Mišića no. 43, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia 2 Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Singidunum University, Danijelova no. 32, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. World 2026, 7(5), 72; https://doi.org/10.3390/world7050072 Submission received: 21 March 2026 / Revised: 27 April 2026 / Accepted: 29 April 2026 / Published: 30 April 2026 (This article belongs to the Topic Sustainable Digital Transformation: Integrating Economic, Technological, and Societal Perspectives) Downloadkeyboard_arrow_down Versions Notes Abstract This study examines the relationship between AI leadership, human-centered independence, and organizational innovation processes and outcomes, challenging the prevailing assumption that leadership-driven AI adoption is inherently associated with improved performance. The research draws on a dual-structured model of AI leadership—AI-driven innovation leadership (Sun) and reflective AI governance leadership (Moon)—to examine whether these approaches are associated with human capability development and innovation performance. Data were collected from 2754 respondents across diverse organizational contexts using a structured survey. The measurement model was validated through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, and the hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results indicate that none of the proposed positive relationships are empirically supported. Neither leadership dimension shows a statistically significant relationship with human-centered independence or innovation performance, while the only statistically significant relationship is negative, indicating that human-centered independence, when not integrated with AI, is associated with lower levels of innovation outcomes. The absence of mediation and negligible explained variance further indicate the lack of an integrated structural relationship among the examined constructs. These findings challenge linear models of AI leadership by showing that the coexistence of AI-oriented leadership and human-centered capabilities does not ensure their integration. The study proposes the AI–Human Misalignment Framework as an interpretative lens, suggesting that innovation outcomes may depend on alignment rather than the mere presence of capabilities. article https://doi.org/10.3390/world7050072 7 5 1 25 2673-4060 World