AI, THE NEW STUDENT IN CLASSROOM

Business schools are finding ways to incorporate GenAl into their curriculum, but the dynamic nature of the technology means regulation of usage will take more time.

- Arnika Thakur

HIMADRI DAS, director-general, International Management Institute (IMI), Delhi, teaches an advanced finance course in derivatives which includes modeling, as part of an MBA programme at the institute. He encourages students to use Generative AI (GenAI) tools to create Codes that can be used to analyse data.

"You show them how to use GenAI with the right prompts to generate the code, which they can incorporate into their projects. (This way) they can learn more than they could without those skills, since they don't have to own the skills," says Das.

As anxieties about AI taking over jobs abound, B-Schools say students have to learn to work with such cutting-edge technologies and leverage them to make better business decisions. Das believes both teachers and students should use GenAI in the classroom. "GenAI is a productivity enhancement tool. Everybody should use it...because you don't want to spend time doing things that an assistant can do for you... think of it as an expert assistant," he says, adding, recruiters, too, are scouting talent with AI-related skills.

Since the launch of ChatGPT in 2022, GenAI has exploded, covering multiple aspects of business. It is anticipated to disrupt as well as revolutionise the way people work, learn and engage with technology. According to a report by EY, GenAI is transitioning from the initial hype to actual applications, and companies in India are launching proofs of concept (POCs) by deploying GenAI-powered apps. Around 84% in a survey of 50 CEOs conducted by the accounting firm across five industries reveals organisations need to act fast on GenAI to stay ahead of competition.