Artificial intelligence is transforming the modern workplace, but one Michigan university says the professionals who come out ahead won’t be the ones who fear the technology - they’ll be the ones who’ve learned to lead with it.
Lawrence Technological University’s College of Business and Information Technology is retooling its curriculum to ensure graduates aren’t just AI-literate, but AI-fluent - and the school’s leadership says the distinction matters.
“Our mission is to create innovative business professionals equipped with technological skills,” said Dr. Matthew Cole, Dean of LTU’s College of Business and Information Technology. For Cole, that means teaching students not only how to build and deploy AI models, but how to question and critically evaluate their output using real business judgment.
The goal, he said, goes beyond efficiency. “Leveraging the human intelligence along with the artificial intelligence - that connection with our human skills and our AI fluency is what’s needed in the marketplace today,” Cole said during an appearance on Live in the D.
Cole argues that AI will never master the political dynamics of an organization, and that’s precisely where human professionals hold an irreplaceable advantage. LTU’s curriculum includes “appreciative inquiry,” a framework focused on collaboration, team dynamics, and organizational engagement, designed to complement technical AI training.
On the persistent anxiety about job displacement, Cole was direct: “We need to reframe ‘will AI replace me’ into ‘how will I use AI effectively’ - so that I will be a successful business professional.”
Massood Omrani, an MBA graduate, PhD engineer, and faculty member at LTU’s College of Business and Information Technology, says most organizations are still missing the bigger picture when it comes to AI strategy.
“AI is a strategic variable, a strategic asset that you should consider when you’re formulating your strategy,” Omrani said. Too often, he noted, business leaders treat AI as a tool for the IT department to manage - plugging it into existing processes without rethinking how the organization operates.
Omrani drew a historical parallel to sharpen his point. “AI is like electricity in the early 1900s,” he said. “The companies who used electricity successfully were not the ones who just brought it in for the heck of it.” The winners, he argued, were the companies that examined their operations, identified where the technology created the most value, and restructured their processes accordingly.
His message to students anxious about their futures was equally blunt: “Do not compete with AI - try to learn AI and use it effectively. In the short term, AI will not replace your job, but the person who knows how to use AI effectively will.”
For more information on Lawrence Technological University’s business and IT programs, visit ltu.edu/business-and-it.