Robotics, AI Make Their Way Into Elite MBA Programs

In early 2016, Apple and Samsung supplier Foxconn replaced 60,000 employees with robots.  China's Everwin Precision Technology is in the process of replacing 90 percent of its factory workforce with automatons, and thanks to the da Vinci surgical system, surgeons can now “perform” surgery without ever touching the patient’s body. Futurologists predict that robots “will almost certainly operate on patients independently and replace human surgeons one day.” 

Robots have been disseminated across 1,000 department stores in Japan to sell products and answer customer inquiries, and around 24 robotic security guards are now patrolling shopping malls and offices right here in the U.S. in Silicon Valley, California, of course! It’s obvious that the future has lots and lots of robots, and these intelligent machines will have a significant impact on the entire job market and global economy. So what can today’s MBAs going to do about it? For starters, business students should seek out MBA programs that highlight artificial intelligence (AI) and/or robotics courses to help them understand how developing technologies will influence the businesses of tomorrow. 

Fortunately, some of the world’s most elite schools are always 10 steps ahead and already offer MBA programs that feature AI or robotics coursework, case studies, seminars and/or summits. For example, in 2015, Harvard Business School’s (HBS) Digital Innovation and Transformation course included the HBS Digital Initiative Summit, which focused on how emerging technologies like the Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, and Machine Learning are poised to impact value creation and value capture in the digital economy. The school also offers a field course called “Entrepreneurship Laboratory (E-Lab),” which hosts firms such as Right Hand Robotics and New Valance Robotics. 

David Yoffie, Professor of International Business Administration at HBS, believes that AI and robotics are now an “essential” part of the b-school landscape. His goal is to help students learn about what these technologies can deliver and the challenges and opportunities for a company that utilizes them. According to BusinessBecause, Professor Yoffie offered his MBAs two cases on artificial intelligence (or AI) and deep learning, and “reckons that many of his colleagues at HBS are bringing robots into the curriculum too.”

A few other schools that offer MBA programs with AI and/or robotics components OR the opportunity to choose electives in either or both areas include Stanford University (ex. Joint CS MS/MBA), Cornell University (ex. Human Computer Interaction (HCI), Artificial Intelligence), NYU Stern (Data Handling, Programming Language: Python, Intro to Machine Learning), and MIT Sloan (AI, Robotics Electives at the school’s CS and AI Labs).

Besides seeking out MBA programs that highlight AI and/or robotics, students can look for schools that have top AI, robotics, and MBA programs. If the MBA program does not have solid AI or robotics coursework, students can always go the extra mile and take the courses that they need on their own. We doubt that any school will kick up any dust over a student’s choice to take the extra classes needed to help them succeed in a world where widespread automation is inevitable. 

Some top schools for graduate AI and/or robotics programs include: 

• Carnegie Mellon University (CMU)
• University of Pennsylvania (UPenn)
• University of California Berkeley (UC Berkeley)
• University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)
• Columbia University (Columbia)
• Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School (JHU Carey)
• University of Washington (UW)
• Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech)
• University of Southern California (USC)
• Oregon State University (OSU)
• University of Michigan Ann Arbor (UMich Ann Arbor)
• University of Texas Austin (UT Austin)
• Florida A&M University (FAMU)
• University of Maryland (UMD)
• University of Utah (The U)
• California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
• The Ohio State University (OSU)
• University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst)
• University of Minnesota (U of M)
• University of Tennessee Knoxville (UT Knoxville) 

Finally, students can take their education to an even higher level by opting for a dual, joint or double degree program. Consider a program like Stanford’s joint CS MS/MBA or an MBA/MS in Robotics, an MBA/MS in Artificial Intelligence (MBA/MS AI) or an MBA/Engineering degree, to name a few. 

If you’re not convinced that studying AI or robotics is the way to go, take a look at “21 jobs where robots are already replacing humans” by MSN Money, then decide. 

Sources 

Bobova, Iliana. "Top MBA Programmes Teach Artificial Intelligence." PrepAdviser.com. PrepAdviser, 08 Aug. 2016. Web. 23 Sept. 2016. 

"Joint CS MS/MBA Degree." Stanford Engineering: Computer Science. Stanford University, n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2016. 

"MBA." Harvard Business School. President & Fellows of Harvard College, n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2016.

Murray, Seb. "Harvard Business School Is Teaching MBAs About Artificial Intelligence, Deep Learning - Here's Why." BusinessBecause. BusinessBecause, 31 July 2016. Web. 23 Sept. 2016. 

Murray, Seb. "Here's How Artificial Intelligence, Robotics Are Edging Into Elite MBA Programs." BusinessBecause. BusinessBecause, 31 July 2016. Web. 23 Sept. 2016. 

"Top 20 Robotics Engineering Schools in the U.S. - Grad School Hub." Grad School Hub. Avada, Apr. 2016. Web. 23 Sept. 2016.

"21 jobs where robots are already replacing humans." MSN Money. MSN, 2016. Web. 23 Sept. 2016.

Wakefield, Jane. "Foxconn Replaces '60,000 Factory Workers with Robots'" BBC News. BBC, 25 May 2016. Web. 23 Sept. 2016. 

Wakefield, Jane. "Intelligent Machines: The Jobs Robots Will Steal First." BBC News. BBC, 15 Sept. 2015. Web. 23 Sept. 2016. 

Welsh, Tom. "Rise of the Robots: How Is the MBA Responding?" City A.M. City A.M. Limited, 29 June 2016. Web. 23 Sept. 2016.