Business Schools Add AI to Curriculum

Business schools are reportedly teaching students to use generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) as a tool like a calculator.

They are encouraging students to use the technology for a variety of applications they will encounter in the workplace, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported Wednesday (April 3).

Schools are doing so at a time when the percentage of prospective business school students who say it’s essential that they learn about AI has leapt to 40%, up from 29% in 2022, the report said, citing data from the Graduate Management Admission Council. 

One school covered in the report, American University’s Kogod School of Business, is including lessons on AI in 20 new or modified classes that will be introduced with the next school year, according to the report.

The additions to the school’s curriculum cover text mining, predictive analytics, using ChatGPT to prepare for negotiations, and using AI in human resource management, the report said.

Columbia Business School and Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business also consider fluency with AI to be a key skill, per the report.

David Marchick, dean of Kogod, said in the report that every young person needs to know how to use AI.

Sheena Iyengar, a professor at Columbia Business School, said in the report that she teaches students to use AI to generate business idea pitches from different perspectives and targeting different audiences.

Robert Bray, who teaches operations management at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, said he encourages students to have AI handle as much of the work as possible.

The education industry should align learning with the emerging skills and knowledge needed in the workforce, Dan Wang, associate professor of business at Columbia Business School, told PYMNTS in an interview posted in July.

There will be “greater value” placed on generalists who can synthesize diverse inputs generated by AI tools than functional specialists, Wang added.

In a recent effort focused on the workplace, Accenture unveiled an AI-driven learning platform that provides tech training to help clients reskill/upskill employees in technology, data and AI.

When introducing LearnVantage, Accenture said it will invest $1 billion in the platform over three years.