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 learning.
Contrary to the common fear that revealing the use of AI may overshadow their abilities, it is an important skill to leverage AI for higher-order work rather than merely relying on commoditised and generic skills. Bloomberg reports indicate that recent graduates at KPMG are now doing tax work that previously required at least three years of experience, while PwC junior staff are focusing on client engagement and pitching. As someone wise said, “AI will not replace you, but the person using it will.”
Furthermore, increasing AI usage can result in reduced peer interaction and knowledge sharing, and this requires educational institutions to create a safe space for experimentation and learning-by-doing. Academic institutions should bring an understanding of AI in functions such as marketing, operations, finance and human resources, and prioritise the development of higher-order skills such as leadership, emotional intelligence, ethical decision-making and creative problem-solving. This could be achieved through real-world projects, internships and case studies from the surrounding ecosystems.
The adoption of agile and dynamic curricula that adapt to changing technology, industry-academia connection, and integration of technology are more important than ever today to produce workforce-ready graduates who can assume greater responsibilities in the changing job market.
To summarise, the question of ‘whether to embrace AI or not’ is past. It is inevitable because “you are either competing with AI or competing against AI.” There is no middle ground.
Authors are with the Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode. Views are personal