Students: AI Excitement Outweighs Job Concerns

Despite recent headlines detailing white-collar layoffs attributed to AI-driven cost-cutting measures, students at New York University’s Stern School of Business appear unfazed by anxieties surrounding automation. According to Professor Robert Seamans, the pervasive narrative of impending job market doom isn’t resonating with his MBA students.

“I don’t get a huge sense that they’re dreading the job market or that they think there are going to be dramatic changes,” Seamans remarked at the CNBC Technology Executive Council Summit last week in New York City. “These students have pre-MBA work experience. They’ve already weathered market cycles and understand the inherent volatility of the modern workforce.” This resilience, Seamans suggests, stems from a combination of practical experience and an adaptability to technological disruption.

Seamans’ curriculum focuses on equipping students with future-proof skills, placing a strong emphasis on generative AI and broader machine learning applications. He utilizes experimental group projects that force students to confront the nuances, benefits, and limitations of AI firsthand. This hands-on approach is crucial, he believes, for cultivating a pragmatic understanding of the technology beyond theoretical concepts.

One particularly insightful exercise involved students composing arguments for and against return-to-office mandates. After initially crafting their own position papers, students were tasked with leveraging large language models (LLMs) to bolster their arguments. The subsequent challenge involved using the same LLMs to generate adversarial counterarguments – what Seamans terms a “black sheep” approach. This forces students to critically examine their own assumptions and proactively address potential weaknesses in their reasoning – a crucial skill in navigating complex business challenges.

“I’m trying to get them to understand that they can interact with AI in a variety of ways,” Seamans explained. Interestingly, many students gravitated towards the “black sheep” method, potentially because it mirrors the diverse perspectives and critical feedback encountered in real-world professional environments. This preference highlights a critical element in effective AI integration: leveraging it not just for validation, but for rigorous stress-testing of ideas.

While the definitive best practices for AI integration remain an evolving field, Seamans encourages continuous experimentation. This iterative approach is essential for uncovering novel applications and mitigating potential pitfalls, ensuring that AI serves as a catalyst for innovation rather than a source of stagnation.

AI ‘as a tool and not a crutch’

Earlier at the TEC Summit, a panel of high school and college students offered contrasting perspectives on AI integration within education. Their experiences revealed a cautious approach to AI adoption, even amidst the broader enthusiasm within the professional sphere.

Aarnav Sathish, a high school senior, indicated that his teachers actively discourage the use of AI in the classroom. However, outside of the academic setting, he utilizes ChatGPT for routine tasks, firmly emphasizing his intention to use AI “as a tool and not a crutch.” This sentiment echoes a broader concern regarding the potential for AI dependence to hinder the development of fundamental skills.

Ezinne Okonkwo, a 19-year-old undergraduate at Columbia University, shared a similar experience. Her professors prioritize the development of core subject matter expertise, discouraging reliance on AI. Like Sathish, Okonkwo strategically employs AI for repetitive tasks that she has already mastered. “If I have to write a bunch of emails that all feel the same, I’ll use it to make them sound a little different,” Okonkwo noted. This points to a practical application of AI for efficiency gains, while preserving the integrity of original thought and skill acquisition.

Siblings Carson and Andrew Boyer, both students at Georgia Tech, presented diverging accounts of AI integration within their respective fields of study. Carson, a sophomore engineering student, reported that his professors permit AI usage in moderation. He finds it particularly useful for practicing conversational Mandarin. “It’s like having a Chinese tutor,” he remarked, highlighting an innovative application of AI in language learning.

Andrew, a senior, stated that his professors encourage AI utilization, while emphasizing the importance of originality. He recalled a midterm exam in an information security class where students were permitted to use the internet and AI. While initially seeming advantageous, the exam design deliberately featured nuanced and visually-oriented questions that AI struggled to answer effectively. This deliberate approach forced students to engage with higher-level concepts, demonstrating the limits of AI and the enduring value of critical thinking.

“I think the class average was like a 60,” Andrew said. “At Georgia Tech, they are evolving and upping the work to be more high-level concepts that we have to be able to understand and do on our own.” This reinforces the notion that AI should augment human capabilities, not replace them. Institutions are adapting their pedagogy to ensure students develop the indispensable intellectual flexibility required to thrive in an AI-driven landscape.

Seamans emphasized that the future workforce requires empathetic and understanding leadership, reminding tech executives that they are ultimately managing individuals with unique skill sets and aspirations.

“Everyone coming into your companies all have their own human skill set,” he said. “Some are good speakers or group leaders, others are great at finance. What they all want is a chance to work with this technology and become a contributing member to whatever team they’re on. AI is going to change, so what you really want is a workforce made up of active and engaged minds and a workplace where this kind of thinking is encouraged.” The most successful organizations will be those that cultivate a culture of continuous learning, fostering a workforce that embraces AI as a complementary tool, augmenting human ingenuity and driving innovation.