Esade assures that addressing the humanistic, social and environmental implications of AI is “a responsibility”

The general director of Esade, Daniel Traça, has assured that addressing the humanistic, social and environmental implications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) “is not an option, it is a responsibility.” Thus, he has maintained that talent, technology and entrepreneurship must act “as engines of real impact, betting on innovation guided by critical thinking and responsible leadership, capable of generating positive and lasting change in society.”

As proof of this, Esade will once again be an official academic collaborator in the ‘4 Years From Now (4YFN)’, expanding its presence by participating for the first time in ‘Talent Arena’, two of the main events dedicated to entrepreneurship, innovation and digital talent within the framework of the Mobile World Congress.

As reported by the school in a statement, under the title ‘AI for Meaningful Impact’, the school leads the debate that connects technology, business and humanism from the conviction that AI “only generates real value when it incorporates human criteria, responsibility and purpose.”

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, LEADERSHIP AND HUMAN FOOTPRINT

One of the central axes of the sessions it will organize is the move from applications to AI agents, a change that, according to the school, “is transforming the way organizations work and make decisions.”

Professors from the Department of DATA (Data, Analytics, Technology and AI) at Esade, Esteve Almirall, Irene Unceta, Marc Torrens and José Antonio Rodríguez, will address in different sessions how to integrate human judgment, supervision and responsibility in increasingly automated environments, with the participation of the founder and CEO of OrbioAI, Sergi Bastarda; the Strategy Lead at Google Org, Aida Martínez; and the professor of Artificial Intelligence and Law at the UPF and member of the European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies, Migle Laukyte.

In addition, the impact of AI on leadership, marketing and business decision-making will also be analyzed. One of the debates will explore to what extent algorithms can influence consumer behaviors, with the participation of the Marketing professor at Esade; Salome Gozalishvili, CRM & Lifecycle Marketing Leader at Candy Crush Saga (King / Xbox), Ana Valenzuela; and the CSO & Founder of Singular Solving, Javier Recuenco.

These reflections will be complemented by the vision of the general director of Esade and the dean of Esade Business School on responsible leadership and new financing models in entrepreneurship, Lisa Hehenberger.

Likewise, Esade will focus on the digital trends that will mark investment in 2026. The manager of Esade eWorks, Davide Rovera, will analyze which technologies and business models will focus the interest of investors and the role of start-ups in the next phase of growth.

The programming is completed with a reflection on digital well-being and the impact of algorithms on new generations, with the participation of the specialist in digital innovation and social impact and professor and researcher at Esade, Liliana Arroyo, along with The Rithm Project researchers, Alison Lee and Marisol Jiménez.

“INSPIRING FUTURE LEADERS IN THE AI ERA”

According to Esade, this approach to technological innovation with a humanistic and responsible vision is also reflected in the training programs, aimed at the strategic understanding of AI: Artificial intelligence in business, Rethinking Business with AI, Master in Digital Business, and senior management programs such as the Executive MBA.

Furthermore, as Esade has detailed, they have been one of the first business schools to offer university degrees in AI for Business, with the double degree ‘Bachelor of Business Administration & Bachelor in Business and Artificial Intelligence’, designed to train professionals capable of integrating AI into strategic decision-making, based on data, “without giving up critical thinking or positive impact.”