Using AI in the Classroom at Columbia Business School
Discover how Columbia Business School faculty are leveraging AI to enhance classroom learning and prepare students for the future of work.
AI@CBS
Columbia Business School is committed to preparing students for the future of artificial intelligence. Through cutting-edge curricular innovation, our MBA, Executive MBA, MS, and PhD programs introduce new courses and research that seamlessly integrate AI into the student experience. From exploring the impact of AI across industries to developing hands-on experience with the latest tools, students can build confidence in using the latest tech in their chosen fields.
AI plays a critical role in the rapidly evolving modern workplace, and with a curriculum that emphasizes its societal and business implications, students can fully prepare to lead in this rapidly evolving landscape.
Explore how our students, faculty, centers and programs are engaging with AI at Columbia Business School.
Latest on AI@CBS
Artificial Intelligence
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Professor Kent Daniel shares insights on how AI can significantly impact quantitative analysis.
Artificial Intelligence
Cryptocurrency
Technology
Up Close and Personal with Digital Assets
The Briger Family Digital Finance Lab at Columbia Business School has launched Bitcoin and Ethereum nodes, facilitating research, instruction, and network resilience.
Data/Big Data
Digital Future
Leadership
How AI Is Fueling a ‘Cognitive Industrial Revolution’
LinkedIn Co-founder Reid Hoffman shares parallels between his own career and AI’s boom during a conversation with CBS Dean Costis Maglaras.
Algorithms
Artificial Intelligence
Broadcasting and Digital Era
Technology
The Implications of AI on the Future of Education & Work: An MBA Perspective
A recent CBS graduate shares firsthand experience of the escalating influence of AI across education, work dynamics, business landscapes, and societal structures.
In The Classroom
AI@CBS In The Classroom
AI is integrated into our courses in ways that support student’s projects and inspire rich class discussions. Tools like ChatGPT are used to assist in breaking down complex research techniques, run business simulations, visualize data in real time, and to show students to think in new ways and explore innovative solutions. The ethical side of AI is also addressed to prepare students on how to approach this technology responsibly as they move into their careers. It’s about making AI practical, thoughtful, and ready for the future.
Market Intelligence: The Art and the Science
For informed business planning and sound decision-making, marketers need comprehensive intelligence regarding their customers. This advanced market research course is based on the idea that to understand customer attitudes, sentiments, and behavior fully both qualitative and quantitative research are required.
Technology Strategy
In today’s digital landscape, understanding how to leverage technology for sustainable competitive advantage is key. Technology Strategy has three goals—the three modules of this course. You will explore key topics like the strategic management of technology and how firms can harness network effects; developing multi-sided platforms; and navigating the challenges of disruptive innovations. Learn how businesses can protect and commercialize breakthrough discoveries, respond to evolving technologies, and strategically position themselves in an ever-changing market. You will be equipped to make strategic, forward-thinking decisions for sustainable growth and success.
Courses
AI@CBS Courses
Generative AI for Business
With AI now embedded in everyday business practices, it’s crucial to understand its use and influence in businesses continuing to innovate. This course is for all business students interested in leveraging Generative AI (GenAI) in their professional lives. You'll explore this technology’s potential benefits and challenges, and how to effectively implement AI in decision-making, streamlining operations, and driving business growth.
Generative AI: Technical and Social
Explore the world of Generative AI from both a technical and societal lens. This course empowers students to develop hands-on experience with the technical workings of large language models (LLMs) to gain practical experience in training AI systems. From mastering transformers to enhancing safety and reliability through fine-tuning and prompt engineering, you’ll develop skills that bridge the gap between theory and application. The course also addresses the societal impacts of these technologies to equip you with the knowledge to lead in AI's rapidly evolving landscape.
Business Analytics 2: Foundations of AI
With the increasing availability of broad and deep sources of information – so-called “Big Data” – business analytics are becoming an even more critical capability for enterprises of all types and sizes. AI is beginning to impact every dimension of business and society and is reshaping how industries drive strategic decision-making. In this foundational course, you'll gain the skills necessary to thrive in a world where AI literacy is no longer optional, but essential to be a successful business leader.
Business Analytics 3: Modern AI, Deep Learning, and Generative AI
In a world fueled by data, the ability to transform information into actionable insights is a competitive advantage. This course takes you into the world of modern AI, and how global giants like Google, Walmart, Capital One, Disney, and innovative startups alike use AI-driven analytics to stay ahead of the curve. You’ll be well-versed in the technical knowledge and strategic insights to excel in AI-driven business environments to drive precision, speed, and profitability.
Events
Events
Monday, September 23, 2024
AI in Healthcare: A Fireside Chat with U.S. Senator Bill Cas
A fireside chat with U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D.
David Geffen Hall, Cooperman Commons
6:00 to 7:00 pm EDT
Tuesday, September 17, 2024
DFI Product Management Lunch and Learn
Join Phil Duong for an open discussion on unique product considerations PM should manage when designing, developing, and delivering successful AI/ML products.
12:30 to 1:30 pm EDT
Thursday, September 12, 2024
Charting a Path Forward: Showcasing Untapped Talent in Tech
The Tamer Institute for Social Enterprise and Climate Change and Justice Through Code invite you to experience ""Charting a Path Forward: Showcasing Untapped Talent in Tech."" This event highlights the remarkable achievements of our program graduates as they present innovative tech solutions designed to address real-world business challenges. You'll have the opportunity to see firsthand how these talented individuals are reshaping the tech landscape with their unique perspectives and skills.
7:00 to 8:30 PM
Friday, September 27, 2024
Open Climate Curriculum Roundtable: Leveraging AI to Enhance
Join us for a lunchtime conversation on climate education and AI during Climate Week NYC!
As the world grapples with the urgency of climate change, business schools play a pivotal role in shaping the next generation of leaders. Simultaneously, artificial intelligence is rapidly progressing and unlocking possibilities for how we work, teach, and learn more efficiently. We invite you to participate in an engaging roundtable discussion on climate change, business education, and the role of AI. This event welcomes faculty and staff from all universities and business schools around the globe, and all business leaders interested in education.
Wednesday, September 18, 2024
Chazen Annual Nand & Jeet Khemka Distinguished Speaker Forum
CEO and Vice-Chairman of Datamatics, Rahul Kanodia (MBA 1993) will speak on how AI is transforming global business and driving growth; how AI is driving innovation within Datamatics; and the role of AI in India.
Faculty
AI@CBS Faculty
Robert Morais
Robert J. Morais is an anthropologist with a career in advertising and market research, and a Lecturer at Columbia Business School. He has taught in the full time MBA, EMBA, and Entrepreneurship and Competitiveness in Latin America, Africa, and America programs. Morais was a Principal/Co-owner of a market research firm for 11 years, preceded by 25 years with advertising agencies rising to Chief Strategic Officer.
Daniel Guetta
Daniel Guetta is Associate Professor of Professional Practice at Columbia Business School. His research focuses on the ways companies can harness the power of data and analytics to drive value. He teaches classes in business analytics, including data science, pricing, supply chain management, and technical tools such as python and cloud computing. He has authored award-winning case studies in the area with a number of companies, and co-authored "Python for MBAs".
Kamel Jedidi
Kamel Jedidi is the Jerome A. Chazen Professor of Global Business at Columbia Business School, New York. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from University of Tunis and Master and Ph.D. degrees in Marketing and Statistics from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Jedidi has extensively published in leading marketing and statistical journals. His research interests include pricing, product positioning, and market segmentation.
Dan Wang
Dan Wang is Lambert Family Professor of Social Enterprise and (by courtesy) Sociology at Columbia Business School, where he is also the Co-Director of the Tamer Institute for Social Enterprise and Climate Change. His research examines how social networks drive social and economic transformation through the analysis of global migration, social movements, organizational innovation, and entrepreneurship.
Olivier Toubia
Olivier Toubia is the Glaubinger Professor of Business at Columbia Business School. His research focuses on various aspects of innovation, including preference measurement and idea generation. Specifically, he combines methods from social sciences and data science, in order to study human processes such as motivation, choice, and creativity. He currently serves as the Editor-in-Chief at the journal Marketing Science. He teaches Foundations of Innovation, Generative AI for Business and the core marketing course. He received his MS in Operations Research and PhD in Marketing from MIT.
Oded Netzer
Professor Netzer's expertise centers on one of the major business challenges of the data-rich environment: developing quantitative methods that leverage data to gain a deeper understanding of customer behavior and guide firms' decisions. He focuses primarily on building statistical and econometric models to measure consumer preferences and understand how customer choices change over time, and across contexts. Most notably, he has developed a framework for managing firms' customer bases through dynamic segmentation.
Ashli Carter
Ashli Carter is a Lecturer in the Management Division at Columbia Business School. Currently, she teaches topics in leadership, negotiations, and cultivating a growth mindset in the MBA and Executive Education programs, as well as for CBS administrators and staff. Prior to joining CBS faculty, she taught MBA and undergraduate courses in leadership and professional ethics at NYU Stern where she was an Assistant Professor/Faculty Fellow of Management and Organizations.
Omar Besbes
Omar Besbes's primary research interests are in the area of data-driven decision-making with a focus on applications in e-commerce, pricing and revenue management, online advertising, operations management and general service systems. His research has been recognized by multiple prizes, including the 2019 Frederick W. Lanchester Prize, the 2017 M&SOM society Young Scholar Prize, the 2013 M&SOM best paper award and the 2012 INFORMS Revenue Management and Pricing Section prize. He serves on the editorial boards of Management Science and Operations Research.
Research
AI@CBS Research
The Language of (Non)replicable Social Science
Using publicly available data from 299 pre-registered replications from the social sciences, we find that the language used to describe a study can predict its replicability above and beyond a large set of controls related to the paper characteristics, study design and results, author information, and replication effort. To understand why, we analyze the textual differences between replicable and nonreplicable studies.
Detecting Routines: Applications to Ridesharing CRM
Routines shape many aspects of day-to-day consumption. While prior work has established the importance of habits in consumer behavior, little work has been done to understand the implications of routines — which we define as repeated behaviors with recurring, temporal structures — for customer management. One reason for this dearth is the difficulty of measuring routines from transaction data, particularly when routines vary substantially across customers. We propose a new approach for doing so, which we apply in the context of ridesharing.
Does AI cheapen talk? Theory and evidence from global entrepreneurship and hiring
Screening human capital based on signals such as job applications or entrepreneurial pitches is crucial for organizations. Signals are informative insofar as they are costly. Generative AI (GAI) complicates screening by lowering the cost of producing impressive signals. We model the informational effects of GAI, showing that applicants' use of GAI can increase-but also decrease-an evaluator's screening mistakes. This result depends on how GAI affects experts' signals compared to non-experts'.
Social Learning in the Presence of Choice
This paper studies product ranking mechanisms of a monopolistic online platform in the presence of social learning. The products’ quality is initially unknown, but consumers can sequentially learn it as online reviews accumulate. A salient aspect of our problem is that consumers, who want to purchase a product from a list of items displayed by the platform, incur a search cost while scrolling down the list. In this setting, the social learning dynamics, and hence the demand, is affected by the interplay of two unique features: substitution and ranking effects.
Automating the B2B Salesperson Pricing Decisions: A Human-Machine Hybrid Approach
We propose a human-machine hybrid approach to automating decision making in high human-interaction environments and apply it in the business-to-business (B2B) retail context.
Read More about Automating the B2B Salesperson Pricing Decisions: A Human-Machine Hybrid Approach
Resources
AI@CBS Resources
Arthur J. Samberg Institute for Teaching Excellence
The Arthur J. Samberg Institute for Teaching Excellence was founded in 2002 with a generous grant from the late Arthur J. Samberg ’67, who was chairman of Pequot Capital Management, Inc. and a long-time member of the Columbia Business School Board of Overseers.
Charged with promoting teaching excellence throughout the School, the Samberg Institute offers programs and resources to support faculty development, curriculum integration and teaching innovation.
The Samberg Institute reflects Columbia Business School’s commitment to strengthening teaching quality while building community. Distinguished faculty members and professional consultants in partnership with the Samberg Institute team members lead development workshops, coach individuals, and offer feedback on teaching skills and course content.
Digital Future Initiative
The Digital Future Initiative focuses Columbia Business School’s world-class research and teaching on how technology is altering all industries and the fabric of daily life.
The initiative brings together hundreds of faculty members from Columbia Business School and Columbia University with corporate leaders from across industries to help organizations, governments, and communities optimize and accelerate the technological advances of the future.
The Hub at Columbia Business School
“The last few years have taught us that business leaders can’t afford to stay on the sidelines when it comes to world events. Today’s challenges are increasingly complex and require greater collaboration across stakeholders. The Hub, which will bring academia, industry, government, non-profits, and the broader public together, is an essential part of combatting these challenges, and, ultimately, driving true change and impact.”
- Oded Netzer, Vice Dean for Research, and Arthur J. Samberg Professor of Business, Columbia Business School
In the news
AI@CBS In the News
CBS News
Federal Agreement Paves Way for Closer Scrutiny of Burgeoning AI Industry
The rapidly growing artificial intelligence industry is due to experience tighter government oversight. With the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) monitoring the business practices of companies like OpenAI and Microsoft and the Justice Department's antitrust division ensuring fair competition within the sector, the US stands to correct course on regulating AI.
Mentioned Faculty (1)
Olivier Toubia
Olivier Toubia is the Glaubinger Professor of Business at Columbia Business School. His research focuses on various aspects of innovation, including preference measurement and idea generation. Specifically, he combines methods from social sciences and data science, in order to study human processes such as motivation, choice, and creativity. He currently serves as the Editor-in-Chief at the journal Marketing Science. He teaches Foundations of Innovation, Generative AI for Business and the core marketing course. He received his MS in Operations Research and PhD in Marketing from MIT.
Quartz
Google's AI Search Stumbled out of the Gate. But the Race Is Just Getting Started
In addition to providing opportunities for efficiency for students and employees, the rise of AI has also provided entertainment for its early adopters. Liz Reid, head of Google Search, attributed inaccurate (and often, funny) answers to questions to “data voids” and satirical websites. Seeing that the Internet has an incredible amount of bad data and misinformation, how will generative AI prevent its tendency to hallucinate or simply make up answers?
Mentioned Faculty (1)
Olivier Toubia
Olivier Toubia is the Glaubinger Professor of Business at Columbia Business School. His research focuses on various aspects of innovation, including preference measurement and idea generation. Specifically, he combines methods from social sciences and data science, in order to study human processes such as motivation, choice, and creativity. He currently serves as the Editor-in-Chief at the journal Marketing Science. He teaches Foundations of Innovation, Generative AI for Business and the core marketing course. He received his MS in Operations Research and PhD in Marketing from MIT.
The Japan Times
Japan Times Quoted Bank of Japan Deputy Governor Ryozo Himino from a Panel at CJEB’s Annual Tokyo Conference
Bank of Japan Deputy Governor Ryozo Himino spoke in a panel titled, “Evolving Monetary Policy in Japan and the United States,” at the annual Tokyo conference held by the Center on Japanese Economy and Business on June 4, 2024. Japan Times included a quote from the panel session in the article, “BOJ weighs reducing bond buys as early as June meeting,”
Quirks
Navigating Generative AI's Transformative Impact on Businesses: Insights from Leading Academic Experts
A recent survey of generative AI decision-makers (672 across US-based organizations) revealed that AI is improving efficiency and data literacy in the workplace. However, does the opportunity for efficiency outweigh the risks when it comes to a rapidly evolving technology like AI?
Mentioned Faculty (1)
Olivier Toubia
Olivier Toubia is the Glaubinger Professor of Business at Columbia Business School. His research focuses on various aspects of innovation, including preference measurement and idea generation. Specifically, he combines methods from social sciences and data science, in order to study human processes such as motivation, choice, and creativity. He currently serves as the Editor-in-Chief at the journal Marketing Science. He teaches Foundations of Innovation, Generative AI for Business and the core marketing course. He received his MS in Operations Research and PhD in Marketing from MIT.
Harvard Business Review
When AI Teammates Come on Board, Performance Drops
Are AI teammates helping or hurting your team’s success?
In a study featured in Harvard Business Review, Columbia Business School Professor Bruce Kogut and his colleagues explored how AI teammates affect team performance and found that it often leads to a surprising outcome: team performance drops. Using the video game Super Mario Party: Dash and Dine for their experiment, the researchers discovered that teams with an AI member consistently collected fewer ingredients than those with all-human players.
Mentioned Faculty (1)
Bruce Kogut
Bruce Kogut is the Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. Professor of Leadership and Ethics at Columbia Business School. He teaches courses on Governance, Governance and Ethics, and Business Strategies and Solving Social Problems. He has taught in executive programs in the US, Europe, and China.
Yahoo! Finance
AI Will Change Work, for Better and Worse
Could AI be the game-changer your industry never saw coming?
In a Yahoo Finance article, Columbia Business School Assocaite Professor Daniel Keum shares his insights on how generative AI will reshape the way we work. Keum predicts that AI’s impact will unfold over the next decade and bring both opportunities and challenges.
Mentioned Faculty (1)
Daniel Keum
Daniel (Dongil) Keum is an Associate Professor of Management at Columbia Business School. His research interests lie in innovation, organizational structure, labor market policy, and their application to public policy formation. He holds a PhD from NYU Stern School of Business and an AB with high honors in economics and mathematics from Dartmouth College. Prior to pursuing a career in academia, Daniel worked at McKinsey & Company for four years. His primary industry experience is in retail, fashion, and corporate portfolio restructuring.
The Wall Street Journal
Business Schools Are Going All in on AI
Top business schools are embracing AI, and Columbia Business School is no exception. In an article from The Wall Street Journal, Professor of Business Sheena Iyengar shared how AI is transforming how students learn and innovate. Iyengar, who teaches students to use AI as a creative tool, believes that while AI can generate ideas quickly, it still requires human judgment to refine those ideas into something useful.
Mentioned Faculty (1)
Sheena Iyengar
Sheena S. Iyengar is the inaugural S.T. Lee Professor of Business in the Management Division at Columbia Business School, and a world expert on choice and decision-making. Her book The Art of Choosing received the Financial Times and Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year 2010 award, and was ranked #3 on the Amazon.com Best Business and Investing Books of 2010. Her research is regularly cited in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and The Economist as well as in popular books, such as Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink and Aziz Ansari’s Modern Romance.
Forbes
How AI Copilots Can Revolutionize Logistics Management
AI copilots are advanced systems that boost human efforts by automating simple tasks, enhancing data analysis, and supporting decision-making. These tools are revolutionizing the logistics industry by making operations more efficient and reducing the need for human intervention. A Forbes article from Columbia Business School's Eugene Lang Entrepreneurship Center discusses this significant change and highlights the center’s role in blending research with practical applications.
Bloomberg
Microsoft Deal, Apple-Google Talks Show Tech Giants Need AI Help
Despite the number of potential innovative applications, industry leaders such as Microsoft and Google still find it challenging to create appealing AI products. This is an advantage for top talent and startups in the AI space, as these companies are eager to find generative AI products and solutions with the necessary “ingredients.” As described in a Spring 2024 Bloomberg article, these components include “computing power, top-of-the-line AI models, trustworthy and easy-to-use products and ways of getting them to people.”
Mentioned Faculty (1)
Dan Wang
Dan Wang is Lambert Family Professor of Social Enterprise and (by courtesy) Sociology at Columbia Business School, where he is also the Co-Director of the Tamer Institute for Social Enterprise and Climate Change. His research examines how social networks drive social and economic transformation through the analysis of global migration, social movements, organizational innovation, and entrepreneurship.
The Hill
Why Tech Companies Are Laying off Thousands of Workers
Are tech job cuts a sign of what's ahead for other sectors as AI grows?
Mentioned Faculty (1)
Daniel Keum
Daniel (Dongil) Keum is an Associate Professor of Management at Columbia Business School. His research interests lie in innovation, organizational structure, labor market policy, and their application to public policy formation. He holds a PhD from NYU Stern School of Business and an AB with high honors in economics and mathematics from Dartmouth College. Prior to pursuing a career in academia, Daniel worked at McKinsey & Company for four years. His primary industry experience is in retail, fashion, and corporate portfolio restructuring.
The Washington Post
AI Professional Headshots Are Quick and Easy. But Should You Use One?
With AI tools, users can erase physical imperfections with the click of a button, creating the perfect professional headshot. The creative liberties that many of these tools take in altering appearances, however, leave many questioning the morality of the practice. In an article for The Washington Post, Olivier Toubia, Glaubinger Professor of Business, joined other AI experts in discussing the newest AI headshot craze.
Mentioned Faculty (1)
Olivier Toubia
Olivier Toubia is the Glaubinger Professor of Business at Columbia Business School. His research focuses on various aspects of innovation, including preference measurement and idea generation. Specifically, he combines methods from social sciences and data science, in order to study human processes such as motivation, choice, and creativity. He currently serves as the Editor-in-Chief at the journal Marketing Science. He teaches Foundations of Innovation, Generative AI for Business and the core marketing course. He received his MS in Operations Research and PhD in Marketing from MIT.
Insider
Remote Workers and Middle Managers Are Most Likely to Get Let Go during Layoff Season, Experts Say
As layoffs sweep through major companies, remote workers and middle managers find themselves most at risk. In a Business Insider article, Columbia Business School’s Associate Professor Daniel Keum offers a clear message: showing up matters. Keum stresses that the era of remote work is fading, and those who want to keep their jobs should be prepared to show their commitment in person. He argues that if work can be done remotely, it’s often just as easy for companies to outsource it abroad.
Mentioned Faculty (1)
Daniel Keum
Daniel (Dongil) Keum is an Associate Professor of Management at Columbia Business School. His research interests lie in innovation, organizational structure, labor market policy, and their application to public policy formation. He holds a PhD from NYU Stern School of Business and an AB with high honors in economics and mathematics from Dartmouth College. Prior to pursuing a career in academia, Daniel worked at McKinsey & Company for four years. His primary industry experience is in retail, fashion, and corporate portfolio restructuring.