Episode 2: Magda Du Preez, Ph.D. on AI tackling bias in decision-making

Magda Du Preez, PhD, is a leadership advisor, decision science expert, and founder of GetSense — an AI coaching platform built to reduce bias and improve human judgment. In this episode, we talk about how AI is changing leadership, decision-making, and emotional intelligence at work. Magda shares insights from her research and product development, including why decision intelligence is the leadership skill of the future, how emotion influences bias, and what happens when AI is used alone vs. alongside human coaching. She also shares her hopes — and fears — about what happens when AI surpasses human intelligence.

Top 5 highlights:

1. AI Can Reduce Bias — But Only When Used Intentionally: Magda explains how AI isn’t automatically fair or unbiased — but with the right design and integration, it can become a tool to counter human bias in decision-making, especially in high-stakes leadership moments.
2. Emotion + Pattern = Decision Trap: Drawing from research and years of working with clients, Magda shares how unacknowledged emotion can distort perception and lead to reactive, biased decisions — and how AI might help surface these blind spots.
3. Why Decision Intelligence Is the Next Core Leadership Skill: In an AI-augmented workplace, leaders who can slow down, interrogate their thinking, and make clear decisions will stand apart. Magda explains how this new meta-skill is key to navigating complexity.
4. Augmentation > Automation: Magda reflects on how her team’s coaching product didn’t work as expected when it was used on it's own vs. to augment a human coach. The lesson: AI should partner, not replace, in human development.
5. The Risk of Disconnection and Dehumanization: She warns of an emerging risk: AI may offer leaders the illusion of clarity and speed, but without checks, it could increase isolation, reduce reflection, and drive short-term decisions that undermine performance and trust.

Listeners can connect with Magda and get early access to her Sense module and audiobook at GetSense.net, by emailing her directly at magda@getsense.net, or by finding her on LinkedIn.