Leadership in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: A Global Bibliometric and Science Mapping Study

Abstract

This study maps research at the intersection of leadership and artificial intelligence (AI) using a PRISMA-aligned bibliometric design. Scopus records from 2016–2025 were screened to a final dataset of 328 documents. Performance indicators such as productivity, citations, h-index, and g-index, and science-mapping techniques such as co-authorship, document, author, co-citation, bibliographic coupling, keyword co-occurrence, and title-abstract term networks were implemented in VOSviewer v1.6.20 and Bibliometrix. The objectives were to quantify productivity and influence, reveal the field’s intellectual and thematic structure, and trace thematic and collaborative evolution to identify research fronts and gaps. Findings show pronounced post-2022 acceleration, peaking at 131 publications in 2025 (39.9%). The final dataset accrued 6,520 citations across nine citation years (h-index 37; g-index 77) with an average of 3.05 authors per paper, indicating consolidation and strong collaboration. Research spans social sciences, business and management, and computer science, with notable institutional activity from the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, the University of Johannesburg, and the University of Nicosia. Co-citation structures integrate digital and transformational leadership with decision-making streams. Thematic clusters center on AI-enabled decision-making, ethical governance, organizational agility, and human-AI collaboration, while emerging fronts include generative-AI applications, algorithmic governance, and AI-infused leadership development. Overall, evidence indicates that AI complements rather than replaces leadership, amplifying decision capacity while heightening requirements for ethical oversight and human-centered competencies. Limitations include a single database and English-only coverage. Future research should broaden the sectoral scope and triangulate Scopus with other databases to enhance coverage validity.

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