In what ways can AI and data analytics be harnessed to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of business school operations? Craig Robinson “I like the idea of using AI in real time to support students. I can also see applications in relation to admissions queries because while I’ve rarely received an admissions question that isn’t already answered somewhere on the website, it’s good to give applicants reassurance that they can ask a question and receive the answer. “There’s lots of potential work in this area that could be done by AI more efficiently than a human because we’re lucky to get a lot of applications at King’s, for example and that does mean that the admissions department can struggle to keep up with all the individual queries.” Are there any specific challenges or barriers that business schools face when adopting AI and data analytics in their research and teaching practices ? Theodoros Evgeniou “If I had a magic wand, I would redesign the incentive structure of where business school faculty publish. For example, the journal lists that relate to school rankings must change because we are killing ourselves by being narrow in our approach to an area of AI that has such broad angles and implications. “I’m an engineer myself and I feel lucky to be in a business school because the realities of business generate a lot of interesting research questions and the more you interact with the applications, the more innovative research questions you get. So, business schools can be very attractive, especially for those working in fields that have practical implications, such as AI.” Tamim Elbasha “There are some constraints from the environment [in taking a multidisciplinary approach] in that some of the rankings ask us how many publications faculty members produce in management studies. So, when you bring in someone with a different profile, perhaps one whose expertise relates more to philosophy, communications or AI directly, that becomes problematic for us. “I think we are getting around this by partnering with other schools. In France, there is also a trend among certain institutions where smaller
schools, such as an AI school or communications school, house faculty members separately in a small programme and feed into a larger brand business school.” Eno Amasi Maycock “There’s a key focus for encouraging research projects relating to AI at Coventry. Some funding was given to the MBA team for one of our associate course directors to pursue a PhD research project focused on exploring the potential benefits of AI within higher education, while being mindful of the limitations, so we can ensure that what we do works for us.” How can you create faculty and staff buy-in around the use of AI ? Eno Amasi Maycock “I think this is a key question because it would be a large ask on faculty members’ time, especially for those who do not use AI on a day-to-day basis. Schools should try and highlight the advantages for every staff member as people will want to see
24 | Ambition | MARCH/APRIL 2024
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