Who Holds the Power in the AI Era? Leadership, Responsibility and the Future of Influence

AI is rapidly becoming the operating system behind creativity, commerce and culture. But as adoption accelerates, a more urgent question emerges: who holds the power in the AI era – and who is accountable for how it is used? This conversation between Matt Derella, SVP at Linkedin and Microsoft Advertising, and Annie Pearl, Corporate VP, Copilot, Microsoft, explores how AI is shifting influence from tools to systems, and why responsibility, trust and inclusion must be purposefully designed into AI at scale. As AI increasingly shapes decisions, narratives and outcomes, leadership, not just technology, becomes the defining factor. This is not a conversation about whether AI will transform our industry (it already has). It is about how power is exercised, how guardrails are set and why responsible, inclusive AI will be a critical competitive advantage for organisations shaping the future.

• How is AI restructuring power dynamics within B2B marketing teams, and what does accountability look like in practice?
• What guardrails should marketing leaders establish to ensure responsible and inclusive AI adoption?
• How can B2B organisations turn responsible AI into a competitive advantage in their go-to-market strategies?