Ride the AI-wave: How to harness disruptive technology with an MBA
Professor Peter Todd, dean of Imperial Business School explains why your chosen MBA program must integrate AI for your future business success.
Key Takeaways:
- The business leaders of tomorrow will need to have a combination of technical and soft skills—this puts MBA graduates at an advantage
- With AI and disruptive technologies reshaping the job market, it’s more important than ever to choose an MBA program that not only recognizes the disruptive potential of AI but takes an AI-integrated approach to prepare you for the workforce.
- AI-fluency is not optional, but essential for business success
- The best programs integrate AI within the curriculum rather than treating it as an “add on”
Knowledge of AI and ability to harness new technologies are key considerations for employers when hiring for roles. This was the main finding from last year’s GMAC Corporate Recruiters Survey. And the good news for those considering an MBA is 99% of employers also expressed confidence in graduate management education, and students’ ability to navigate technological disruption and drive change.
According to the survey, most employers agree the combination of technical, analytical and soft skills gained through business education is more important than ever, as businesses adopt and adapt to new technologies.
How MBAs are changing for an AI-driven world
The pace and scale of technological change have transformed the job market, so business schools must evolve their degree programs or risk losing relevance. Graduates not only need to have the right blend of skills, but in the right balance to succeed in an increasingly uncertain job market.
Leading organizations are always looking to make use of those emerging technologies that will have the biggest impact on economies, societies and jobs; the new tech that will change the hierarchy of desirable jobs and the pathways to getting to them. Right now, AI is at the forefront of this change: early career analyst and entry level software developer positions, for example, are likely to shrink in the short to medium term. But what will come next, and how can an MBA help future-proof your career?
Recognizing the importance of keeping pace with technological change is the first step.What to look for in an MBA
1. An AI-embedded curriculum
You can give yourself an edge in tomorrow’s job market by choosing to study at a business school with a strong STEM offer and where AI is fully integrated into and across the curriculum, rather than simply an “add on”. It’s worth considering a business school that incorporates AI into its academic and student journey as well as career planning. At Imperial, we are embedding AI and other emerging technologies across all our program modules, from strategy and finance to marketing and operations. Alongside more traditional teaching methods, we are also supporting students in the classroom with AI avatar lecturers that resemble students’ real-life tutors, helping enhance learning via improved accessibility, customization and feedback.
2. Industry collaborations
Understanding which tech and digital organizations business schools are working with is another important factor, as it reflects the type of careers your MBA can prepare you for. Schools providing work placements and opportunities to network with industry leaders in sectors such as AI, greentech, medtech or healthtech offer a better grounding for students keen to get valuable practical experience in tech-driven leadership. Imperial Business School has been expanding and deepening its ties to companies in these sectors, alongside promoting internships and master’s projects in them.
3. Responsible use of AI and new technologies
4. Soft Skills
As AI and other new technologies supplement, enhance or take on some tasks, there will be an ever-greater emphasis on the importance of innately human skills such as emotional intelligence, problem-solving and critical thinking. Consider how the schools you are looking at are talking about and presenting AI—is it just a tool to get things done quicker, or something more fundamental that needs to be properly engaged with? Imperial’s education is grounded in the principle of human-first AI assistance, and our students learn the strengths and limitations of the technologies they will be working with.
The importance of skills of the future
Although it’s hard to predict what the next wave of technological disruption will look like or what abilities MBA graduates will most need in the coming years, AI fluency will remain essential. But so will soft skills. What is clear is the next generation of business leaders will have to be well-rounded and master a robust skillset if they are to succeed, balancing technical knowledge and abilities with human skills to harness technology and drive change.