Purpose This study examines how Human-AI Collaboration (HAIC) and Cognitive Flexibility (CF) shape decision-making in the emerging context of Industry 6.0. It conceptualizes hybrid intelligence as a governance issue in which the level of AI integration and the adaptive judgment of managers develop separately and also influence one another in project and innovation settings. Design/methodology/approach Using the scenario method, the study identifies HAIC and CF as two main uncertainties in AI-mediated decision-making. A two-dimensional framework is used to develop four configurations: Agile Synergy, Intuitive Mastery, Tech-Driven Adaptability, and AI-Controlled Rigidity. Each scenario captures a different combination of AI integration and cognitive adaptability. Findings The analysis suggests that decision quality in AI-enabled projects depends on the fit between computational capability and human interpretive capacity. High levels of both HAIC and CF support adaptive governance and more responsible decision-making. Imbalances create different risks, including procedural dependence and weaker strategic foresight, as interpretive authority gradually shifts toward system outputs. The findings also show that technological sophistication alone does not ensure resilience or ethical alignment. Practical implications The framework helps project leaders and innovation managers assess how deeply AI is embedded in decision processes and whether decision-makers still have the capacity to interpret and challenge algorithmic outputs. It is also relevant for digital transformation teams involved in the development and use of AI-enabled decision systems in areas such as project selection, innovation portfolio review, risk assessment, resource allocation, and stage-gate processes, where explainability and reflective human judgment remain important. Social implications By placing AI integration within a humanistic governance perspective, the study highlights the importance of preserving human interpretive agency and maintaining accountability to stakeholders in projects shaped by advanced algorithmic systems. Originality/value The study contributes to research on project and innovation management by showing that HAIC and CF capture two aspects of hybrid intelligence: one structural and one cognitive. It treats HAIC as a structural dimension of authority distribution and CF as a safeguard for judgment in hybrid systems. It also presents hybrid intelligence as a relational configuration and offers a governance perspective on digital transformation in project contexts.
Deliu et al. (Sat,) studied this question.