Artificial intelligence is one of the pivotal technologies of our generation. It is rapidly transforming businesses, governance and even our social lives. Among all of this genuine transformative energy, there is also a fair bid of mis- information and hype.
It is pretty important for business leaders to understand what AI can and cannot do for your business. Only by understanding the technology, can you prepare your organization for the challenges that lies ahead. You don’t want to over invest in something that will not deliver or under invest in something that has the power to transform your business.
In order to really be a business leader when it comes to AI, you have to become an expert in it. There are no shortcuts here and there are no consultants or outside experts will do this for you. The buck has to stop with you.
Below, I have shortlisted a number of excellent courses from some of the world’s top universities that dive into artificial intelligence as it pertains to business use cases. You will find nothing better out there and this is really all you need to get started. These courses will give you the confidence and the understanding needed to be an AI champion for your organization.
1. AI for Business & Finance Certificate Program from Columbia Business School Executive Education
(Note: Use the above link and code BANKERSBYDAY for $300 off tuition on this course)
Who is it for?
This course has been built for professionals in the finance and business world. No technical expertise is necessary. Go for this if you want to learn how AI actually works and how to use it.
Course Review
The biggest beneficiaries of the AI revolution are companies that are incorporating AI to improve their business processes. The finance sector is the biggest user as of now, but everyone from manufacturers to logistic firms and the health sector to utilise is now using AI in some capacity. As a business professional or owner, you need to stay ahead of the curve and this course has been designed for you.
This course is ideal for such business professionals and it does not require any technical knowledge. This is not a course for programmers or coders. Its a foundational course which brings together academic and corporate expertise to create just the right blend.
The eight week course has been designed to cover all bases. You start off with the fundamentals of AI along with basic tools like chatbots, automation, APIs and so on. Python is the tool of choice when it comes to AI and then is the next stop. You will learn to analyse data, and improve workflows using Python libraries. Don’t worry, prior coding experience is not required. Python is certainly on the friendlier end of the language spectrum anyway.
A large focus is on predictive analytics as that is a major business use case for AI currently. Financial modelling, extracting insights, and making complex financial predictions is the name of the game here. You then move on to generative AI, AI simulations and the various AI business tools like LLMs, data analytics etc.
This is the same course that is used by top financial institutions to train their professionals. I believe that industry focus is what really sets this course apart from others that just have an academic focus.
When it comes to business professionals, this course is as good as it gets. The focus is immense. The brand value is immense. The networking opportunity is immense. Given that the course has been specifically build for that target audience, this is my top pick.
Click here and use code BANKERSBYDAY for $300 off tuition on this course
Summary
| Time to Complete | 8 weeks, about 10 hours per week |
| Format | Fully online |
| Level | Professionals |
2. Oxford Artificial Intelligence Programme
Course Review
Artificial Intelligence is one of the most disruptive and important technologies of our time. It is disrupting industries, fuelling innovation and creating inflated expectations of what the technology can do. Hype and unrealistic expectations seem to be the flavour of the season and we need step back and really understand the true capability of AI as it pertains to business.
This is the focus of this course from Oxford University which dives into the history, functionality, capability and limitations artificial intelligence as it pertains to business.
The course starts with an introduction to AI including its history, development, ecosystem as well as the trajectory and the impact that it has had thus far. For most people, AI and machine learning is a black box and unravelling that mystery is necessary first step to becoming a business expert in AI. The second module focuses mostly on machine learning and how supervised, reinforcement, and unsupervised learning works for machines.
Then we come to the mid-section of the course where the focus is on deep learning and neural networks. Neural networks and learning algorithms are complex structures that require dedicated approaches to maximise their potential. Working with intelligent machines is no less complex than working with a conventional workforce.
Ethics also gets the module of its own as this is one of the most important concerns when it comes to utilising AI for business purposes. The final module is all about using artificial intelligence in a specific business opportunity that you will work on. You will investigate how AI can help your organization excel in business and this will give you the practical experience and the confidence needed to actually make the jump.
Click here and use code GS-AF-BBD15 for a 15% discount on this course!
Summary
| Duration | 6 weeks with 7-10 hours a week |
| Format | Fully online |
| Level | Executive |
3. Artificial Intelligence: Implications for Business Strategy from MIT Sloan
Course Review
This is an executive level course which is meant for senior executive and business leaders at all levels of the organization in various industries. The idea behind this course is not to focus on the technical aspect of AI but rather the managerial and organizational aspects. By the end of this course you should be able to develop an AI plan for your organization and make informed and strategic decision using key AI technologies.
The course is divided into several modules. Each of these modules contains a fair amount of information about sub topics that are relevant to AI. You obviously start off with an introduction to artificial intelligence which covers topics like history of AI, use of technology in business, implications of machine learning in various industries, strategic, technical, security and other aspect of AI and machine learning.
From there, we move on to the middle section of the course which focuses on natural language processing in business as well as the use of robotics in business. There are some interesting topics here that dive into how natural language processing is transforming business and is allowing companies to achieve cost leadership and differentiation. Whether such a solution is appropriate for your organization is something that you will have to decide. Robotics is another interesting topic which is witnessing wide scale adoption in the business world. Here you will learn how you can use robotics to maximise the effectiveness of your organization resources and whether it is right to you.
The last few modules focus on artificial intelligence as it applies to the human machine partnership. AI is having a profound impact on the future of work and there are plenty of ethical, moral and other concerns regarding the adoption of AI. These topics need to be thoroughly understood and there is enough focus on these in this module. The final module will have you consider the future of your organization as it pertains to the use of AI. This is a very practical approach and something that will allow you to come back with some very substantial ideas on how to implement AI in your organization.
Click here and use code GS-AF-BBD15 for a 15% discount on this course!
Summary
| Duration | 6 weeks with 7-10 hours a week |
| Format | Fully online |
| Level | Executive |
4. Artificial Intelligence in Business from IE University
Course Review
This excellent course from IE university focuses specifically on the use of AI in various businesses across multiple industries. For example, the use of AI in determining credit scores in the financial services industry or, as another example, accelerating vaccine trials in the healthcare sector to even consumer segmentation for marketing!
These are just some of the excellent real world case studies that you will be reading about that will get you really excited about Artificial Intelligence and its use in business.
The very first module blasts things off by building a solid business case for AI. This includes a solid discussion on the use of artificial intelligence, machine learning and big data for business and solving business problems.
AI algorithms and machine learning specifically can also be trained to solve business problems. The second module focuses on this including supervised, unsupervised and deep learning.
The next module is my favourite by far as it focuses on real world use cases. I have already given some of the examples from various sectors and it is a really fun and insightful experience to read about AI being actually deployed across industries and seeing active used.
The last two modules focus on the governance and ethics as well as mitigating the negative impact of AI. You will end the course by developing a road map for a implementation for your organization. This final exercise bill really help you cap everything that you have learned so far and take on the world of AI with growing confidence and understanding.
Click here and use code GS-AF-BBD15 for a 15% discount on this course!
Summary
| Duration | 5 weeks with 6-8 hours a week |
| Format | Fully online |
| Level | Executive |
5. Machine Learning in Business from MIT Sloan
Course Review
Even though machine learning and artificial intelligence are related concepts, there are some practical differences when it comes to actual implementation and use cases. Machine learning is a more specific process that may be considered a branch of artificial intelligence. It is a very disruptive technology and a rather complicated one that requires significant inside into computer science and the use of complex algorithms.
MIT, as a technical institution, is in the perfect position to deliver this course that touches upon aspects of both business and computing. This is what makes this course especially good.
There is a lot ground to cover in this course which is why everything is divided into bite sized modules. We start off by learning about machine learning and its role in business including the various types of machine learning, the various approaches to machine learning, and the opportunities and challenges of machine learning when it comes to business.
Data is that the core of implementing a successful machine learning program and that is something that is the focus of the second and third modules. This data could be sensor data as it pertains to use in machine learning.
Natural language processing and language data is also covered in its own module as this is one of the most fundamental use cases for machine learning. But this is not just about language but also about finding patterns in human transactions and interactions. You will look at some examples from the finance and medical industries and the business value of using such data.
Click here and use code GS-AF-BBD15 for a 15% discount on this course!
Summary
| Duration | 6 weeks with 6-8 hours a week |
| Format | Fully online |
| Level | Executive |
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