Abstract:

Many organizations are struggling to keep up with the overwhelming array of artificial intelligence (AI) applications, as well as trying to write and maintain new policies and processes in the context of a new AI world and its disruption of the workplace. Within the chaos is the danger of toxicity growing out of conflicting perceptions, misinformation, and attitudes of leadership and workers. The changes AI has wrought for approaches to learning and work demand new ways of thinking about these challenges and creating a meaningful learning experience. This paper explores the impact of AI in the educational experience of adult learners, namely in the online learning environment and the corresponding demand on educators. It should be noted that while online learning has been the steppingstone to bridging a digital divide between society and education, there still appears to be a vast array of different perspectives among both internal and external stakeholders about best practices for coping with legal, ethical, and operational challenges of AI, and maintaining relevant skills in a fast-changing environment.  

Educators in higher education business programs, such as master’s in business administration (MBA), are embracing the need to prepare students for the AI-powered workplace.  Integrating relevant AI learning applications within the MBA curriculum, anchored in principles of a positive growth mindset and agile thinking, aligns well with current demands for adaptability and technological proficiency in the business world. The focus of this paper is how today’s educators can evaluate real world demands to develop lessons and simulations that prepare students for meeting a sophisticated digital workplace in a relevant legal and ethical manner. With a survey of current literature, evolving workplace practices, and suggested approaches, this paper challenges educators to bravely step “outside the box” and provide learning activities and applications that provide transferable skills and flexible strategies for learners in the context of AI’s reformation of both education and business practice.

Keywords:

Artificial Intelligence, online learning, ethics, legal, application.