AI technology has taken over the different markets in the world. The corporate space has specifically seen a lot of AI applications in the past few years. At the moment, many workplaces are overrun by AI-powered workforces…
This has made it hard for corporate leaders without AI workforces to stay ahead. For this reason, businesses are currently teaching students AI basics and skills that will come handy in the real world. However, as the situation stands at the moment, business schools, like ESCP business school, need to do more than teach students the basics. ESCP business school and other learning institutions need to prepare future corporate leaders for the AI-powered workforce by teaching them about this technology. Students have to be taught how to apply AI across different business functions. This post will focus on the specific areas that business schools need to cover when teaching their students about AI.
What business schools need to teach future leaders
As popular as AI has become, there is still so much to learn about this technology. Business schools need to teach their students about AI in order to prepare them for a future that includes AI-powered workforces. Below are some subjects or lessons that business schools need to add to their curriculums for future corporate leaders:
AI Soft Skills and Applications
Business schools need to teach students the basics of AI. Since AI has become a very popular tool in the corporate world, students need to at least have some basic know-how of the technology. Business schools can introduce their students to AI by introducing them to AI tools like ChatGPT that they can use in their studies, without infringing on institutional guidelines.
The goal is to get students familiar with AI tools and help them acquire some soft skills. Business schools can also teach their students about the applications of AI in the corporate world. Educators can have students explore different kinds of AI tools used in the corporate world, like customer service AI bots. While doing so, students have to also be taught not to depend solely on flashy new technology like the different AI tools. Future leaders have to know where to draw the line between employing traditional business tools and new technologies like AI.
Ethics
When it comes to AI and its integration in the workforce, ethics is a critical issue. Business leaders need to teach future leaders how to navigate the ethical and safety issues associated with AI applications in the workforce. Such issues include misinformation, privacy and intellectual property concerns. Leaders need to be prepared on how to manage the consequences of adapting this new technology in the workforce and steps they have to take to protect themselves from liability.
Future leaders also need to be prepared on the ethical boundaries of using AI in both their current education and future careers. Business schools need to infuse AI ethical guidelines into their classes to prepare students for what is ahead of them. They can do this by having students actively participate in unpacking AI ethical issues and how to respond to them. Encouraging students to research AI ethics and risks would also be a good lesson for business students.
Identifying entrepreneurial opportunities from AI applications
Business schools also need to train future corporate leaders on how to take an entrepreneurial approach when adapting to technological advances like AI technologies. Such lessons teach students how to identify opportunities and how to use AI tech advances to bring the opportunities to fruition. Students need to learn how to experiment with new technologies and use them to create new opportunities in the corporate world. An entrepreneurial mindset is very important for corporate leadership as it sets employees aside from other leaders.
AI integration
Future corporate leaders also need to learn how to integrate AI into the existing technologies and practices in the workplace. AI integration in the workforce is a complicated process that cannot be handled by just anyone. Therefore, business schools need to teach their students how to identify areas where AI can be integrated in the workplace and how to effectively handle the process.
While doing so, leaders also need to learn how to strike a balance between traditional workplace practices and AI applications. Business schools can teach students using examples. For example, they can provide examples of corporations that have already gone through the process and the kind of AI tools that can be integrated in the corporation, and also the hows.
The dual approach: Teaching AI and using AI to teach
In addition to teaching students about AI, business schools also have to use AI to teach students. This dual approach is essential for preparing corporate leaders for the AI-powered workforce. It helps students understand the mechanics of AI while also assessing its applications in the corporate space. Top learning institutions like the ESCP business school have already adopted this approach.
Conclusion
The bottom line is that how business schools respond to AI will affect how students handle the change and apply them in the future. Therefore, it is the role of business schools to prepare students to thrive in the currently AI-powered workforce. In addition to teaching the subjects above, students also have to take a proactive approach in preparing themselves for the AI-powered workforce. Students can do this by researching AI, its applications, and trying out some AI tools. There are a lot of research papers on the corporate applications of AI that business students can explore.
