Future-proofing MBAs: Integrating AI into the business leadership of tomorrow

financialexpress.com:

Ameya Agrawal and Salman Ali

MBA programmes have long been associated with excellence, providing a platform for talented individuals to hone their skills and advance their careers as business leaders. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) has levelled the competitive field by diminishing the novelty of skills such as good writing, clear structure, basic reasoning, and idea presentation.

At the same time, with the rise of AI, it has become difficult to distinguish between exceptional and average candidates. It has been observed that individuals who use AI to create their work do not disclose it to create an illusion of excellence or safeguard themselves from perceived laziness and lack of effort. These ‘phantom AI whisperers’ or ‘secret cyborgs’ make it important for evaluators and candidates to bring regulation and transparency in the field of AI.

AI can speed up certain tasks, but if not regulated, it may lead to reduced productivity and output quality due to the repetitive nature of work. For example, a class assignment that used to take three hours can now be finished in 90 minutes with the help of AI. The additional 90 minutes can be used productively, if things are planned aforehand.

Here, it’s important that educational institutes switch learning processes from AI-avoiding to AI-assisted usage, i.e., rather than an all-or-nothing approach to a regulated AI usage, in order to make learning faster. This may even eventually make the adoption of one-year or 15-month MBA programmes even more attractive. Alternatively, continuing the two-year programme can also lead to opportunities for students to delve deeper into subjects, including AI-based learning, while instructors can enhance course offerings with practical