AI is everywhere, but most people still struggle to understand how it works or how it adds value. Many AI projects don’t move past the proof-of-concept stage because they lack clear goals, proper integration, or usable data. For example, a retailer might build a customer prediction model, but without the marketing team truly understanding how it works, it sits unused. Or a hospital might try forecasting admissions with poor data, leading to inaccurate results. To succeed with AI, businesses need clear use cases, quality data, and cross-team collaboration – in other words, it’s about solving real problems effectively.
Enter Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. From the POV of this institution with over 100 years of excellence, AI is a transformative force across industries and academic disciplines and AI literacy will soon be a prerequisite for a successful career. That’s why its forward-thinking faculty is continuously integrating generative AI into the curriculum. Like they’ve done since their founding in 1920, they aim to train students to be fluent in rapidly evolving technologies and to ensure their competitiveness in the job markets of today and tomorrow.
“At Kelley, we wanted to design a curriculum that not only will allow our students to be involved in different parts of the AI production chain but also to consider issues related to value generation for stakeholders,” says Alex Barsi Lopes, clinical professor and Associate Faculty Chair of Kelley Executive Education Programmes. “That is why we combine courses covering machine learning and generative AI with courses that look at AI from a business perspective, such as ‘AI and Automation for Business’.”
Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business’s faculty integrate generative AI into the curriculum, ensuring students gain fluency in these evolving tools to stay competitive in future markets. Source: Indiana University
The school’s Online MS in IT Management (MSITM) and Online MS in Business Analytics (MSBA) are at the forefront of this shift. Both programmes now include two new AI-focused courses: Business Applications of Machine Learning and Deep Learning and Generative AI for Business. These courses are hands-on and taught by faculty deeply involved in the global AI community – and they’re always happy to share the latest insights from industry.
“Our instructor for the Machine Learning course has been in the IS field for more than two decades, with many years dedicated to the field of analytics,” Lopes says. “Meanwhile, our instructor for the ‘Generative AI’ course is a very accomplished AI researcher, with a focus on applications of AI in a variety of contexts. Plus, he is returning from a ‘loan’ to TSMC where he served as the Director for the AI for Business Intelligence Research Center.”
Recruiting instructors from the most consequential organisations in the field is crucial – as is ensuring the content up to date. Kelley faculty keep pace with the latest developments by engaging directly with businesses across the globe. “For example, in May, I will give a talk to IS executives in Indianapolis before heading to Korea to visit companies that are leading in innovation in their fields, such as pharma, AI, manufacturing, etc.,” Lopes says.
He recently returned from India, where he connected with organisations like SAP, Deloitte, and Infosys. Meanwhile, David Darcy, clinical Associate Professor, who teaches Machine Learning, is preparing to visit tech firms in Ireland. Insights from these trips are brought back into the classroom.
Sometimes, there’s no need to go far to uncover new AI breakthroughs. Kelley’s cutting-edge Jellison Studios allows faculty to continuously update course materials as AI tools evolve. This ensures students aren’t learning outdated theory — they’re working with the latest tools, techniques, and case studies. “There is no end in innovation, so our course content should reflect that,” Lopes says.
At Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, faculty experts are dedicated to teaching AI courses. Source: Indiana University
As for the platforms students will use? It varies by course, but Python is a staple across most technical classes. Kelley incorporates open-source tools like Hugging Face and works closely with Microsoft through a Copilot partnership central to the Agentic AI curriculum. For intelligent automation content, Kelley collaborates with UiPath. No matter the tool, the goal is to help students stay at the edge of what’s current.
That practical mindset carries through to the learning format itself. Students work with business-relevant datasets, apply techniques in real-time, and take on projects that mirror the kinds of challenges they’ll face in their careers. “For instance, in our AI and Automation for Business course, students will have an opportunity to use Design Thinking techniques to identify opportunities for new AI services and products, in addition to using intelligent automation tools to deal with real problems,” Lopes says.
This hands-on approach is being extended across Kelley’s portfolio. Plans are underway to embed AI into other programmes, including the upcoming Online MS in Marketing, which is awaiting final approval. There’s also ongoing work to introduce more AI-driven content into the Online MS in Finance. While some institutions are still cautiously approaching AI, Kelley is actively building the future and preparing students to lead in it.
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