In the video above, professors at Columbia Business School share how the school is integrating AI into its curriculum, both through practical exercises and explorations of AI’s broader implications across industries.
CBS faculty share how they use AI to enhance student learning and prepare them for a future where AI plays a pivotal role in business, marketing, finance, healthcare, and more. Learn how the school equips students with the skills they will need as future business leaders using this powerful technology.
Watch the interview with CBS faculty above and read the transcript below.
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CBS: How are CBS faculty leveraging AI in the classroom?
When it comes to AI in the classroom, there are at least two ways you can think about how AI is integrated here at Columbia Business School. One way is bringing it directly into exercises we’re doing—how do I use AI to address different questions posed in class, for example, with data analysis, something I do with my classes.
A second way AI is incorporated in many of our classes is by exploring the implications of AI for the world of business. How will AI change the world of finance, marketing, healthcare, or climate? We discuss the role of AI in these industries and how our students should be prepared for a world where AI is embedded in all these fields.
Oded Netzer, Arthur J. Samberg Professor of Business, Marketing Division
One of my key aims when teaching AI in the classroom is to help students understand that these models aren’t as scary as they seem. Even though they seem magical, like there’s a gremlin inside your computer responding to your queries, at the end of the day, it’s just a series of very simple operations combined in complex ways to produce the answers you see. Sometimes I build a much simpler version of that AI for them—using something like Microsoft Excel. We even have a whole neural network in Excel that we use in one of my classes to show students that what’s happening in the background is just operations they’re familiar with—additions, multiplications, etc. By combining those operations at scale, you suddenly get the magic that we see when AI is put into practice.
Daniel Guetta, Associate Professor of Professional Practice, Decision, Risk, and Operations Division
I’ve used AI in creative ways, like having students use text-to-image generative AI to illustrate what their inner critic looks like. It’s a great way to negotiate with mindsets and reach a place more conducive to achieving goals.
Ashli Carter, Lecturer in the Discipline of Management in the Faculty of Business, Management Division
I co-teach a course with Professor Kamel Jedidi called Market Intelligence: the Art and Science. In this course, we use AI, typically generative AI, throughout the sessions. Out of 24 sessions, about 22 involve either discussing or demonstrating AI. Students are tasked with using AI, especially in their major market research projects, where they work with real entrepreneurial companies.
Robert Morais, Lecturer in Business, Marketing Division
CBS: What makes AI at CBS stand out?
I believe Columbia Business School is the best place to study AI because we’ve cracked the code on teaching AI at a level that’s neither too high-level, like a TED Talk, nor too deep, like an engineering class. We teach students how these models work and how to deeply understand what goes on behind them without needing all the advanced math. This positions our students to contribute to the implementation of these algorithms in the workplace and collaborate effectively with more technical counterparts.
We’ve been teaching data analytics and early forms of AI for at least ten years here. Over that time, we’ve mastered the ability to teach MBAs the technical aspects of AI—just as much as they need to be successful working with engineering teams.
Daniel Guetta, Associate Professor of Professional Practice, Decision, Risk, and Operations Division
Columbia Business School invested early on in transforming the curriculum to prepare students for a digital future, with AI being a significant part of that future.
CBS is also home to leading educators and researchers in the AI field. We have experts who explore the techniques associated with AI and those who study how these tools are or should be deployed in industries. We also focus on how these tools are affecting various sectors, from marketing to finance, healthcare, and climate.
Omar Besbes, Vikram S. Pandit Professor of Business, Decision, Risk, and Operations Division
In this environment, an entrepreneurial spirit is highly valued and supported. I’ve felt encouraged to take small, calculated risks when I believed it would benefit students’ learning and growth, as well as my own development as an educator. It’s an exciting place to experiment and learn with this new technology.
Ashli Carter, Lecturer in the Discipline of Management in the Faculty of Business, Management Division
We have top faculty in every area of business, as well as those working on AI algorithms—whether it’s how Spotify uses them or how pricing is done at Amazon or Uber. We also have faculty focused on AI applications in marketing, retail, healthcare, and climate. Finally, we have faculty thinking about the future of work in an AI-driven world, where AI will likely be a significant part of every job.
We are rapidly advancing in terms of creating elective courses around generative AI and incorporating it into everything we do in the classroom, from core classes to electives.
Oded Netzer, Arthur J. Samberg Professor of Business, Marketing Division
As professors, we understand that it would be a disservice to our students if we didn’t fully equip them with the knowledge and skills to use AI, so that when they enter or re-enter the job market, they’re prepared.
Robert Morais, Lecturer in Business, Marketing Division
CBS: How will AI shape the future of business?
AI is not new; it has been shaping the business world for some time. In marketing, for example, online advertising has been influenced by AI for years. However, the rise of generative AI is now creating a massive shift across industries. I’m much more optimistic than concerned about whether AI will replace jobs or enhance them. I believe AI will be an enhancer of jobs, taking over mundane tasks and freeing us up to focus on more interesting work, such as decision-making and synthesizing information.
Oded Netzer, Arthur J. Samberg Professor of Business, Marketing Division
AI will allow us to quickly transform vast amounts of real-world data into digitally accessible formats that models can use. This narrowing of the gap between the real world and the digital sphere will have a profound impact on business and create new challenges. We’re just at the beginning of understanding the full scope of AI’s potential impact, and that’s something I’m very excited about.
Daniel Guetta, Associate Professor of Professional Practice, Decision, Risk, and Operations Division
I hope AI will shape the future of business for the better, but I know it won’t happen on its own. It will require thoughtful, intentional leadership to ensure that AI is used as a force for good—to help more people thrive, to free up time and resources for individuals to pursue their goals. This will also require us to reconnect with our values and commitments within our communities to make that happen.
Ashli Carter, Lecturer in the Discipline of Management in the Faculty of Business, Management Division
AI is poised to significantly enhance human productivity in various fields. It will likely lower barriers to entry in many industries. For example, the rise of chatbots has brought back the importance of asking good questions. These AI systems democratize access to resources and bring the art of asking thoughtful questions back into focus.
Omar Besbes, Vikram S. Pandit Professor of Business, Decision, Risk, and Operations Division
AI is now permeating every aspect of business. In my area, marketing research, it’s used for everything—from determining market size and key competitors to designing market research projects, defining problems, developing questionnaires, analyzing data, and creating marketing strategies.
Generative AI, in particular, is making us more productive. It has the potential to reduce inequality by leveling the playing field and improving work-life balance by allowing us to accomplish more in less time. However, it also has the potential to increase inequality by reducing job opportunities for some, depending on how it’s used.
That’s why it’s so important for our students to engage with AI—they will be the ones shaping its impact on society and business in the future.
Olivier Toubia, Glaubinger Professor of Business, Marketing Division
