What B-schools need to do to address the introduction of AI into the classroom

PPeople keep saying that AI will revolutionize the way business and the financial sector work. But one important question often remains unasked. That's how business schools and finance training programs are changing to fit this new world. While it may seem like a technology-driven revolution is taking place in schools, the problem isn't with the technology. It depends on how we prepare and teach.

fundamental gap

First, the real gap in AI is between department chairs and their faculty. Institutional leaders aim to do something completely different from what teachers already do every day. A recent AACSB study shows just how significant this disparity really is. According to 85% of department chairs, their departments encourage teachers to utilize AI in their classrooms. However, only 63% of teachers agreed. The gap is even wider when it comes to the use of AI in the classroom. 80% of department chairs feel that faculty should also use AI, but only 55% of faculty agree. This shows that the desire to do something is much higher than the ability to do it. A lack of bottom-up support to match this top-down vision prevents faculty from helping students move beyond the most basic uses of AI.

Second, students are already using AI, so there is no point in debating whether or not they should be using it. A Digital Education Council (DEC) poll found that 86% of students are already using AI in their schoolwork. However, you're not using it to come up with new ideas or do complex, strategic analysis; you're using it for small tasks to get things done faster. The most common uses are to look up information, check grammar, and create first drafts. These results are very important. Students know how to use technology, but there is a big difference between knowing how to use it well and using it wisely. It's clear that 58% of students feel they don't know enough about AI, even though they use it frequently in the workplace. This is exactly what cutting-edge schools are trying to improve by shifting focus from basic tool use to more advanced skills: co-creation.

co-creator

Third, the most important new talent is not coding. We use AI to produce things. Programming and data science have been the hottest topics for AI talent for years. But the focus is shifting from the technical talent for building AI to the strategic skills for thinking with AI. The best new skills are learning how to think about challenges, ask smart questions, and engage with AI as creative and strategic collaborators. This idea of ​​“mindset before toolset'' is essential in educating today's leaders. “AI is only as good as the humans who use it.” That's why we need to know how to ask better questions, be transparent about challenges, and think of AI as a thinking collaborator.

This method is already used by people. Students at Queen Mary University of London are “co-creating with AI” in business simulations by coming up with and critically evaluating many strategic options. At Nanyang Business School, we teach students how to collaborate to create GenAI prompts and discuss different artifacts. This helps individuals question the AI's logic and biases, rather than just taking what the AI ​​says at face value. But teachers don't think they have the time or money to teach this new way of thinking.

Fourth, AI is increasingly becoming a co-pilot for teachers rather than tutors for children. People talk a lot about AI as a customized tutor, and some top schools are adopting AI to support their teachers. ESMT Berlin has built a unique AI tool that can be used in two different ways. One, it helps students learn in ways that are meaningful to them. The other is for teachers only and is called “Course-level assistant and development partner.” This helps teachers understand where courses do and don't overlap, come up with innovative ways to improve curriculum, and even train new teaching assistants by answering questions about content. This is a real game-changer because it addresses the two most common reasons preventing teachers from engaging with AI: lack of time and lack of support. These solutions use AI to reduce the less interesting administrative aspects of education. Instructors can spend more time coaching, having important conversations, or interacting with students.

Incorporating AI into business and financial education is more than just a technology upgrade. It involves a change in mindset and behavior. As AI becomes more pervasive, the most important thing leaders need to know will not be how to use it, but how to master the human strategies of collaboration, critical thinking, and vision needed to power it.

The author is Associate Professor of Information Systems and Analytics at TA Pai Management Institute, MAHE, Manipal.