Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer reserved for tech giants and computer scientists; it’s an innovation catalyst across industries. According to a report by management consulting firm McKinsey, 72 percent of organizations have adopted AI, with half now using it in two or more business functions—up from less than a third the year prior.
Whether you want to integrate this technology into your current role or lead your organization through a digital transformation, choosing an AI course that aligns with your career goals is crucial.
But do you need a computer science background to excel in AI courses?
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There’s a common misconception that AI is a highly technical tool. The reality is that any professional can leverage it to enhance efficiency and drive business innovation.
“I have a strong belief that the future of business is going to be AI-powered,” says Harvard Business School Professor Karim Lakhani, who co-teaches the online course AI Essentials for Business with HBS Professor Marco Iansiti. “There’s not one organization, one role that will not be touched by AI tools.”
AI courses have become increasingly accessible, even for those without a computer science background. HBS Online’s AI Essentials for Business course introduces foundational concepts to ensure learners from diverse backgrounds understand different applications of AI, such as machine learning and predictive modeling, without being overwhelmed by technical jargon.
This inclusivity ensures that professionals from all industries can gain the skills to harness AI's potential. Your success depends more on your problem-solving skills, creativity, and dedication to learning than on prior technical knowledge.
As you consider which AI course best aligns with your career goals, it’s important to evaluate several factors that could influence your learning experience and professional growth.
4 Things to Look for in an AI Course That Could Benefit Your Career
1. Content Quality, Applicability, and Relevance
When selecting an AI course, ensure the content covers foundational AI concepts and aligns with your career goals. Look for programs that offer real-world, case-based examples relevant to your industry.
For instance, if your goal is to leverage AI in healthcare, a program with industry-specific examples can provide practical insights directly applicable to your work. In HBS Online’s AI Essentials for Business course, learners are introduced to VideaHealth, a dentistry startup using AI to detect dental conditions on X-rays.
In the course, VideaHealth Co-Founder and CEO Florian Hillen discusses the benefits of using AI for patient diagnostics.
“AI, especially in this diagnostic step—but also later in the treatment planning step—can introduce a more objective, data-driven, and consistent approach toward introducing transparency and trust in this marketplace,” Hillen says in AI Essentials for Business.
High-quality, real-world content delivered through an interactive online platform can make learning AI more relevant to your career goals.
2. Industry Expertise
The instructors’ expertise is crucial to your learning experience. Courses taught by and featuring industry leaders who deeply understand AI’s role in business can provide invaluable insights far beyond textbook knowledge.
When researching courses, research the faculty members’ backgrounds. Instructors with firsthand experience and deep industry knowledge can bridge theory with practice and ensure the course content addresses common challenges and emerging opportunities in the field, making the lessons relevant to your role and today’s ever-evolving business landscape.
This connection between industry expertise and practical application is exemplified by the instructors of HBS Online’s AI Essentials for Business course: renowned HBS professors Karim Lakhani and Marco Iansiti.
“Marco and I recently finished this book called Competing in the Age of AI,” Lakhani shares in the course. “And we're really pleased to welcome you to our course, which takes the insights of the book and massively expands it by including a ton of voices of leaders from around the world thinking about how AI is changing the nature of business, both business models and operating models.”
By choosing a course led by experts like those at HBS, you can be confident you’re learning from the best in the field.
3. AI Ethics Coursework
In the rush to implement AI technologies, many overlook the need to better understand their ethical considerations. And since this isn’t industry-specific, nearly any business professional can benefit from this relevant coursework.
“It's becoming very fundamental to a whole new generation of leaders across both small and large firms,” Iansiti says in AI Essentials for Business. “The extent to which, as these firms drive this immense scale, scope, and learning, there are all kinds of really important ethical considerations that need to be part of the management, the leadership philosophy from the get-go.”
As a result, the best AI courses should include a strong focus on ethics, equipping learners with the knowledge to effectively navigate these challenges.
One particularly relevant concept with AI in business is algorithmic bias, the systematic discrimination that can occur when AI decision-making is influenced by prejudiced data. According to AI Essentials for Business, that bias results in unfair outcomes like:
- Discriminatory hiring
- Unequal access to resources
- Workplace bias
An effective AI course teaches you strategies for responsible, ethical AI use, offering tips on recognizing and addressing bias, the power of diverse data sets, and enhancing privacy and cybersecurity. This approach ensures fairness, transparency, and safety in your organization’s AI applications and promotes ethical decision-making.
4. Generative AI Insights
As AI capabilities expand, understanding generative AI—a subset of AI that uses generative models to create new content, such as text, images, and simulations—offers business professionals a strategic advantage.
Unlike traditional AI, which often focuses on data analysis and prediction, generative AI provides the tools to innovate, design, and problem-solve in ways previously unimaginable. Business leaders must understand how it can be applied to their industry-specific challenges and opportunities.
For example, in marketing and product development, generative AI can optimize several aspects of a product launch by:
- Creating personalized content: Generative AI can help you tailor marketing materials to specific audience segments based on customer data.
- Designing new products: AI can analyze trends and customer preferences, empowering you to use those insights to inform innovative product features.
- Simulating customer interactions: You can leverage AI to model customer responses to refine your organization’s engagement strategies before launch.
By gaining a deep understanding of these cutting-edge technologies through a comprehensive AI course, you can position yourself and your organization at the forefront of innovation, driving success in a competitive market.
How to Advance Your Career with an AI Certificate
In an era where AI is rapidly transforming industries, selecting the right AI certificate course is crucial for advancing your career. The right program doesn’t just teach you the basics; it equips you with the practical skills and strategic insights to apply AI in ways that drive real business value.
HBS Online’s AI Essentials for Business certificate course can help enhance your career prospects in the age of AI. You’ll develop frameworks to shape your organization’s digital transformation strategy, empowering you to deliver business value, lead AI initiatives, and prepare your business for AI’s impact.
Taught by world-renowned faculty and industry experts, this course offers a comprehensive, accessible, and actionable approach to AI—making it a powerful next step you can take to advance your career.
Are you interested in taking an AI course? Explore AI Essentials for Business—one of our online digital transformation courses—and download our interactive online learning success guide to discover the benefits of online programs and how to prepare.
