The Future is AI: A Call to Action for Business Leaders
Overview
This course is designed to equip professionals with the knowledge and tools to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) into their business strategies effectively. Through a combination of foundational insights, hands-on exercises, and practical frameworks, participants will learn how to evaluate AI tools, optimize workflows, address ethical considerations, and drive AI initiatives that create tangible value. By the end of the course, you’ll not only understand the buzz around AI but also be empowered to lead AI innovation within your organization.
Interested in Executive Education?
Objectives
Get clear on why AI is making a big impact across industries, what’s fueling its rapid growth, and where it’s headed.
- Build Foundational AI Literacy: Learn the fundamentals of how AI works—from key concepts to the technologies powering modern AI solutions.
- Identify AI-Related Risks: Explore the ethical, privacy, and security considerations essential to responsible AI implementation.
- Discover Essential AI Tools for Executives: Gain familiarity with high-value AI tools that can streamline decision-making, operations, and strategic planning.
- Integrate AI into Your Business: Break down key executive functions into discrete tasks to identify where AI can add the most value
Outcome
- Understand AI Basics
- Grasp AI terminology, milestones, and business applications.
- Reflect critically on AI’s organizational impact.
- Build and Evaluate Your AI Toolbox
- Assess AI tools for cost, features, and security.
- Develop effective prompts for maximizing AI output.
- Master Core AI Tools
- Explore advanced uses of ChatGPT and NotebookLM.
- Create a custom business advisor and define brand voice guidelines.
- Navigate AI Ethics and Security
- Address data protection, bias, and regulatory concerns.
- Evaluate the value of proprietary data and AI infrastructure.
- Integrate AI in Your Organization
- Identify key roles and policies for AI adoption.
- Analyze job descriptions for AI opportunities.
- Launch AI Initiatives
- Identify, prioritize, and pitch AI pilot projects.
- Create actionable plans for AI integration.
Program Schedule
Session 1
Course Introduction & AI Literacy
- Introduction to Course
- Basics of AI & generative AI (terminology, historical milestones)
- What's all the buzz around AI in business?
AI-Generated Reflection and Redline on AI’s Impact (don’t edit output but please redline the AI output)
Session 2
Building Your AI Toolbox & Prompting
- Criteria for AI tool evaluation (cost, features, data security)
- High-level review of recommended AI tools
- Basic prompting techniques (structure, context, parameters)
Build Your Prompts Framework to Evaluate New Models
Session 3
The Core AI Tools
- Understanding all of the capabilities of ChatGPT from coding to data analysis and image generation. As well as the hidden tricks to make this even more seamless.
- NotebookLM for research and generating audio overview and summaries
- How to build Your Own Business Advisor in ChatGPT
Brand Voice Guidelines + Custom GPT
Session 4
Security, Legal & Ethical Landscape with AI
- Regulatory frameworks, IP/data protection, and ethical considerations (bias, misinformation, privacy)
- Discuss different AI infrastructure and the value of proprietary data
Read Situational Awareness and Prepare to Discuss
Session 5
Laying the Foundation for AI in Your Business
- Finding your AI unicorn and AI Impact on Org Structure
- Developing policies & understanding the “BYOAI - Bring Your Own AI” dynamics in your organization
- Setting up your reverse roadshow + new perspective analysis
Analyze a job description in your company and identify opportunities for AI
Session 6
How to Identify AI Pilots and Get Board Buy-in
- A framework to identify AI opportunities in your business
- How to prioritize AI pilots and sell them to investors or boards
Identify 5-7 AI Pilots Programs and Complete Analysis
Meet Your Professor
Rice Business Wisdom
Rice Business Wisdom is our online ideas magazine that features faculty research.
Based on research by Yueyang Liu
Based on research by Jing Zhou
Based on research by Jaeyeon “Jae” Chung
