ROUNDTABLE REVIEW
Pumela Msweli: “Our university has a set of AI guidelines encouraging the use of the technology. We were all invited to a conference that outlined a variety of AI tools we can use, such as DeepSeek, for different projects, especially those in relation to academic writing and the supervision of students. There’s also an approved university policy on how to disclose your use of AI.” How prepared are business schools to integrate AI tools into teaching, learning and administration? What are the main barriers to adoption? Gaston Fornes: “Companies are already using it, so what are we saying to our students and graduates? ‘No, don’t use it?’ On the contrary, they need to be AI-ready; in fact, I think it is our responsibility to help our graduates. In addition, companies are saying that they expect us, ie schools, to train their people in AI because they don’t have the capacity. I mean, only the biggest companies and consultancies have the resources for this and they represent just five per cent of the market.” Hassan Abu Bakar: “We have invested in case studies on AI from NUCB Business School’s Case Centre Japan and we have to train faculty in these new approaches. Let them work with AI and critique its advantages and disadvantages, so that it becomes an assistant that brings a new perspective into learning and enhances the job we do.” Xu Yong: “Right now, some teachers are using AI largely for their own convenience, so it would be hard to say that they have developed a consistent and coherent strategy in their courses. Students, too, might only be using AI to save them time and effort. We still have a lot of work to do to put the technology to use in a way that truly benefits both students and teachers.” Desmond Yap: “Due to the scope, speed and disruptiveness of AI, the overall load has increased for higher education institutions in terms of resource and budget allocation, as well as from the human perspective. That means workload and investments may increase in the initial adoption and transitional phase of onboarding AI tools before schools see the longer-term ROI.” Himanshu Rai: “Younger members of faculty tend to adopt AI faster. Older faculty members are more likely to treat it with suspicion but, of course, there are some older members of faculty who have adopted it and started finding some joy in it because of particular applications they find interesting. However, the biggest challenge among most of the people I speak to at deans’ conferences is the attitude of the faculty.” Pumela Msweli: “The biggest barrier is at an attitudinal level. Academics don’t like to say, ‘I don’t know’ and we must assume that some people will be scared and find ways of getting them to deal with their fears.”
assumptions? We must consider the potential negative impact on our capacity to think. It’s a fascinating world, but I’m seriously worried that we still don’t know how we will manage it. We need to create control mechanisms and balance this technology with the human side. Otherwise, we will be creating MBA graduates with a limited capacity to think critically and make decisions.” Gaston Fornes: “For me, one of the most positive and unexpected things we currently see is the extent to which our students already realise the opportunities, strengths and limitations of how AI can enhance their work. This is enabling them to use AI responsibly and efficiently to support their professional development.” Should business schools have a formal policy or set of guidelines that govern the use of AI? Kenji Yokoyama: “It’s not easy to anticipate future developments and this makes it difficult to decide on a policy. This is why we should allow younger faculty members to experiment, so we can evaluate the impact on students’ education and try to curate examples of good practice. After that, we can decide on the policy.” Desmond Yap: “What is the purpose and the role of policies and rules of engagement? Perhaps it is to simplify some elements, because humans like simplicity, but it also brings a certain element of control. At the same time, the challenge is about creating some space for pure, human-led innovation in this environment.” Hassan Abu Bakar: “I would like to have a business school policy on AI, because we want to move quickly to keep pace with the needs of business. However, as we are a public university, we need to wait for the Ministry of Higher Education to determine its policy first.”
Ambition • ISSUE 1 • 2026 31
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