AI in the Classroom and the Workforce

Danielle Aiken

Editor in Chief

Artificial intelligence has sparked both excitement and anxiety across university campuses. As tools like ChatGPT and other generative AI systems become more sophisticated, higher education faces the challenge of integrating this technology responsibly. 

With this in mind, faculty and students alike are grappling with how to balance innovation with integrity, and how to see AI not as a replacement for human intelligence, but as a powerful complement to it.

At Assumption University’s Grenon School of Business, that balance is being explored in a new course designed to help students use AI productively and ethically. This fall, MGT 332 is equipping future business leaders with the skills to understand, manage, and lead in an AI-driven world.

Architect of the course, Professor Youstina Masoud, is helping students navigate the intersection of artificial intelligence and organizational strategy, which blends technical understanding with ethical reflection and real-world application. 

Designed to explore both the opportunities and challenges of AI in business, the course has quickly become one of the most talked-about offerings in the department.

“In this course, we discussed a number of “Harvard Business Review” cases that evolve around different real world AI applications,” Masoud said. “Each case addresses a specific organizational issue that can be partially or fully resolved with AI deployment.” 

One such case, she explained, focused on how AI can help organizations struggling with innovation. “Innovation is known to be an expensive, lengthy and risky process,” she said. “In this specific case, we discussed and analyzed how AI can help organizations mitigate the previously mentioned struggles. At the same time, we discussed where humans fit in this equation. The role of humans is a consistent topic in this course.”

The class also examines more contentious applications of AI, such as dynamic pricing. “Another practical application of AI that we discussed in class is dynamic pricing and how some organizations, for example Uber, are using algorithms to maximize revenue,” Masoud said. 

“A typical struggle that organizations face nowadays is the tension between customers’ loyalty and maximizing revenue. This tension is not new per se but the availability of algorithms that allow organizations to change their pricing real time based on demand is intensifying this tension. While discussing this topic, we spent some time reflecting and thinking on ethical deployment of AI in dynamic pricing and the ramifications of this pricing strategy on access to healthcare and other necessities. The fact that we can compute something does not necessarily mean we should.”

Additionally, Masoud mentioned that hands-on learning is a key feature of the course. “We did a number of class exercises that required the use of generative AI,” Masoud stated. “For example, one time we spent class time using generative AI as an assistant to build a new company from scratch. Students were asked to think about a product or service that they would like to offer and to use AI to brainstorm ideas and get feedback.” 

The class also stays current with ongoing developments in the field. “In addition to choosing readings and cases that are application-based, we try to spend the first five minutes of each class bringing recent stories and news about AI.”

Masoud said assessment in the course goes beyond traditional exams to emphasize discussion, analysis, and applied understanding. “Every class, students and I start discussing the topic of the day with a certain understanding of readings,” she said. “The beauty of this class, or any class that is discussion-based, is the experience of building and developing new understanding during discussion based on our collective and individual understanding.” 

Students complete a series of assignments designed to apply AI concepts to real managerial problems. “Students are expected to complete four assignments that range from using generative AI to scan applicants for an open position to create class materials or presentations about AI risks,” she said. “So far, students have been able to thoroughly integrate their knowledge and understanding of this evolving technology to provide a unique perspective in completed assignments.” 

For many students, this applied approach also reinforces the importance of responsible AI use. Emma Bloom, a senior marketing major enrolled in the pilot course, emphasizes that understanding safety is essential to unlocking AI’s potential. “Through this course, we have learned how impactful AI can be, but also the importance of using it safely, through group discussions and class exercises.” 

To deepen this learning, the course’s take-home, essay-based midterm challenges students to connect concepts across the curriculum,“require relating concepts learned over the past couple of months to fully address the questions”, Masoud adds

The course has been met with enthusiasm. “I think students are responding very well to this course which is apparent in their performance and engagement,” Masoud said. “It is very interesting to see their confidence in their AI knowledge growing throughout the semester.” 

Bloom also shares that this course has helped prepare her for usage of AI in the real world. “With all of the unknown outcomes of AI, this course has made me feel more prepared and in control for whatever the future holds. It’s opened my eyes to how powerful it is in the business world.”  

Early in the term, Masoud said, many students were anxious about AI’s potential to replace human workers. “When we first started talking about AI capabilities, there was this sense of fear and concern that we will all be replaced which is not entirely true, at least in my opinion,” she said. “As we progressed in readings and cases, we had more discussions about our place as individuals in the growing story of AI.”

That shift in perspective has been one of the most rewarding parts of the course, Masoud said. “The students in my AI class can tell you that perfection is not always the answer and that humans’ messiness and imperfection can lead organizations to think about tough questions and controversies,” she said. 

“They can also tell you a lot about the importance of upskilling to navigate the changing landscape of employers’ expectations.” For the final project, students are asked to reflect on their own careers and how AI will shape their future work. 

“Students are asked to think about their future career and how their entry job after graduation is changing with the current deployment of AI,” she said. “They are also asked to upskill themselves to be distinguished when it is time for them to enter the workplace.”

Additionally, some of the most memorable moments have come from unexpected classroom discussions. “We had a discussion about the technology gap between women and men,” Masoud said. 

“Whether you agree or disagree with societal expectations, they put women at a more disadvantaged position in terms of upskilling to be prepared to work with AI. Women will need to work more to close this technology gap before they can even think about getting themselves ready and skilled to work in AI-infused organizations.” 

Another class discussion focused on how AI can amplify employees’ voices. “The team that presented the case did a great job analyzing the case and giving recommendations which led us to discuss how employees from different generations differ in expectations and interests.”

Masoud was also surprised by how much attention the course received from her peers. “When I first thought about creating this course, I was mainly driven by my interest in this subject,” she said. “I did my dissertation on AI and organizations, and I enjoy thinking, reading and talking about this topic but I certainly did not expect that it would gain this attention which motivates me to keep working on improving it.”

Looking ahead for future semesters, Masoud said she hopes to deepen the technical foundation of the course. “Next time I teach this class, I will spend more time introducing the technology and I hope there will be more non-technical articles and teaching cases available on AI to be incorporated in the course.” 

Teaching the class has also given her a new appreciation for the process of course design. “This course is my first experience creating a course from scratch,” she said. “Going through the process was an eye-opening experience and I got to appreciate more and more the amount of effort that goes in creating a course from scratch. … It teaches you to be fine with this and to be willing to change things as you go.”

Through her AI in Management course, Masoud is not only teaching students about algorithms and data, but also encouraging them to consider the human side of technology. Considerable aspects such as its limits, ethics, and potential, challenge us to reshape how organizations think, work, and lead.