This course is part of the Digital Transformation & AI track.
Introduction to AI Essentials for Business

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Extra learning at no extra cost. Enroll now and unlock a GenAI Bonus Bundle featuring complimentary lessons on AI fundamentals. Learn more about this limited-time offer.
 

AI Essentials for Business

$1,850
Next 4-week session starts January 28th
Build a foundational understanding of AI concepts and the skills to apply them to your organization to deliver a competitive advantage.
4
weeks
4-6
hours per week
4
modules
Self-Paced
with regular deadlines

 This course earns you a Certificate of Completion from HBS Online. What you earn.

Overview
Syllabus
Enrollment
Stories
FAQs

Key Concepts

Understand the evolving AI landscape
Discover diverse applications of AI, machine learning, predictive modeling, and data science
Explore ethical AI-related challenges to implement it responsibly and manage risks
Develop a foundational understanding of AI concepts and their business impact
Uncover opportunities to incorporate AI into your business processes
Learn how generative AI connects to your organization and its impact on business and operating models

Who Will Benefit

Explore AI-based business and operational models that could unlock and deliver value for your organization.
"The course’s content and teaching method through case studies and practical examples was remarkable."
Vishal Vyas
Assistant Vice President at TTK Healthcare Limited
Build foundational AI literacy to understand and leverage its business impact.
"HBS Online courses are excellent for anyone who wishes to learn more about a particular subject area or further develop their career."
Corina Cristea Lavoie
Corporate Services Manager at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
Understand the evolving AI landscape and its impact on your business, whether you work in product, operations, marketing, or supply chain.
"This was an excellent course with concepts that were immediately applicable to my consulting business."
Kerri Roche
Owner and Strategic Planner, Sift Strategic Planning at Sift Strategic Planning
Master of Business Administration, Memorial University of Newfoundland

What You Earn

Certificate of Completion

Certificate of Completion

Boost your resume with a Certificate of Completion from HBS Online

Earn by: completing this course

Certificate of Specialization

Certificate of Specialization

Prove your mastery of digital transformation & AI

Earn by: completing any three courses in this subject area to earn a Certificate of Specialization

Syllabus

4 Modules, 15-25 Hours
Download full syllabus
4-5
hrs

Module 1

Explore the characteristics of an AI-powered firm, its impact on business and operating models, and the components and outputs of the AI factory.

Highlights

Dr. Alan Qi, Vice President and AI Chief Scientist, Ant Group
Florian Hillen, CEO, VideaHealth
Marco Iansiti, David Sarnoff Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School
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Concepts

  1. The Age of AI
  2. The AI Factory

Featured Exercises

  • Identify AI use cases in your organization
  • Analyze your organization’s business and operating models and how they align with an AI-first company model
  • Sketch your company’s data pipeline, identify data sources, and consider ways datafication can be streamlined
4-5
hrs

Module 2

Describe the science behind generative AI, ways to incorporate it into your business processes, the collision between traditional and AI-powered companies, and that clash’s impact on digital transformation.

Highlights

Iavor Bojinov, Assistant Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School
Stéphane Bancel, CEO, Moderna
Dr. Melissa Moore, Chief Scientific Officer of Platform Research, Moderna
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Concepts

  1. The Rise of Generative AI
  2. Collision and the AI-First Company

Featured Exercises

  • Consider how generative AI can overcome bottlenecks and achieve cost efficiencies
  • Reflect on collisions between traditional and AI-first companies
  • Propose an AI project for your organization and highlight its benefits and considerations
5-6
hrs

Module 3

Understand network and learning effects’ impact on business strategy and how they can be used to create value. Explore ethical considerations related to AI and mitigation strategies for responsible use.

Highlights

Mitchell Baker, CEO and Chairwoman, Mozilla
Dr. Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Limited India
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Concepts

  1. Strategy: Network Effects and Learning Effects
  2. Ethics of Digital Scale, Scope, and Learning

Featured Exercises

  • Analyze your company’s strategy across three key pillars: product value, network value, and data value
  • Explore how businesses can adopt the platform model
  • Identify risks related to digital amplification, algorithmic bias, cybersecurity, privacy, and inclusiveness
  • Craft a presentation about your AI project for stakeholders and outline how it will contribute to your organization’s digital transformation
4-5
hrs

Module 4

Explore digital transformation as a continuum and the four key levers driving it in organizations: strategy, governance, architecture, and culture. Recognize how AI is transforming business across industries and geographies and why it’s vital to accelerate your AI journey now.

Highlights

Bratin Saha, Vice President and General Manager of Machine Learning Services, Amazon AI
Dr. Gina Neff, Professor of Technology and Society, Oxford Internet Institute and the Department of Sociology, University of Oxford
Dr. Bitange Ndemo, Professor of Entrepreneurship, University of Nairobi’s Business School
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Concepts

  1. Transformation Journey
  2. Leadership in the Age of AI

Featured Exercises

  • Determine your organization’s AI maturity level using the AI-first scorecard
  • Reflect on how the strategy, governance, architecture, and culture lessons can be applied to your organization
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Upskill Your Team, Transform Your Organization

Whether you represent a large multinational corporation or a small local business, we have a solution for your learning and development needs.

Our Difference

In AI Essentials for Business, you’ll explore AI-based business and operational models and learn how to implement them ethically to capitalize on new market opportunities and deliver a competitive advantage.
Stay active by engaging in a new activity every three to five minutes.
Stay active by engaging in a new activity every three to five minutes.
Get social by collaborating and networking with a global community of peers before, during, and after the course. Learners who successfully complete an HBS Online program are added to the HBS Online Community's Official Networking Group and gain exclusive access to events and other networking opportunities.
Get social by collaborating and networking with a global community of peers before, during, and after the course. Learners who successfully complete an HBS Online program are added to the HBS Online Community's Official Networking Group and gain exclusive access to events and other networking opportunities.
Immerse yourself in real-world, case-based examples brought to life by industry-leading experts from companies like Amazon, Microsoft, Moderna, Mozilla, and Novartis.
Immerse yourself in real-world, case-based examples brought to life by industry-leading experts from companies like Amazon, Microsoft, Moderna, Mozilla, and Novartis.

About the Professors

Karim Lakhani
AI Essentials for Business

Dorothy and Michael Hintze Professor of Business Administration
"You’ll consider how best to apply AI in your industry and business and start rethinking your systems, processes, and roles to build AI-powered organizations."

Marco Iansiti
AI Essentials for Business

David Sarnoff Professor of Business Administration
"There's an opportunity for all of us to really drive change in a way that will shape the trajectory of transformation in a better and most effective way."

Dates & Eligibility

Starting
Jan
28
4 Weeks  $1,850 + applicable international taxes
Payment deadline January 22
Enroll Now
Starting
Apr
08
4 Weeks  $1,850 + applicable international taxes
Payment deadline April 6
View weekly calendar
Enroll Now
  • No documentation required

All learners must be at least 18 years of age, proficient in English, and committed to learning and engaging with fellow participants throughout the course.

Learn about bringing this course to your organization.

HBS also offers an executive education version of this program for individuals with extensive work experience interested in on-campus programming.

Learner Stories

90%
are more self-assured at work
My favorite part of the program was interacting with my cohort members where I received valuable shared experiences, feedback and was able to be a thought partner around strategies and best practices in varying scenarios.
Raymond Porch
Manager of Diversity Programs at Boston Public Schools
The course has given me the confidence to know that my suggestions have a solid business basis.
Jennifer Moret
Financial Analyst
* Source: 2022 surveys and course data
 
All FAQs

AI Essentials for Business FAQs

AI Essentials for Business participants are eligible for a Certificate of Completion from Harvard Business School Online.

Participants are expected to fully complete all coursework in a thoughtful and timely manner. This means completing each course module and fully answering questions posed therein by the required deadline. This course also features recommended weekly deadlines to help ensure participants proceed through the course at a similar pace and can take full advantage of social learning opportunities. In addition to assignment completion, we expect participation in the course’s social learning elements by offering feedback on others’ reflections and contributing to conversations on the platform. Participants who fail to complete the course requirements will not receive a certificate and will not be eligible to retake the course.

More detailed information on course requirements will be communicated at the start of the course. No grades are assigned for AI Essentials for Business. Participants will either be evaluated as complete or not complete.

You will have access to the materials in every prior module as you progress through the program. Access to course materials and the course platform ends 60 days after the final deadline in the program.

Once you’ve earned your Certificate of Completion, list it on your resume along with the date of completion:

Harvard Business School Online

Certificate in AI Essentials for Business

[Cohort Start Month and Year]

List your certificate on your LinkedIn profile under "Education" as follows:

School: Harvard Business School Online
Dates Attended: [The year you participated in the program]
Degree: Other; Certificate in AI Essentials for Business
Field of Study: Leave blank
Grade: Complete
Activities and Societies: Leave blank

For the program description on LinkedIn, please use the following:

AI Essentials for Business is a 4-week, 25-hour online certificate program from Harvard Business School. The course equips business professionals with a comprehensive approach to building, leading, and operating ethical AI-powered organizations.

AI Essentials for Business and AI for Leaders align with distinct stages of organizational AI adoption and leadership readiness.

AI Essentials for Business is designed for business professionals, functional specialists, and aspiring leaders who want to develop a foundational understanding of AI and its business implications. It uses a conceptual, narrative-driven approach, featuring longer, conversational videos and real-world examples, to provide broad AI awareness for a wide range of non-technical learners.

AI for Leaders is tailored for digital transformation leaders, AI champions, and startup founders ready to drive, implement, and scale AI initiatives within their organizations. The course emphasizes hands-on, action-oriented learning—using immersive, real-world cases, concise, professionally produced videos, and practical, interactive exercises—empowering leaders to drive AI transformation.

Neither course requires technical expertise. AI Essentials for Business is ideal for organizations just beginning their AI journey, while AI for Leaders is best suited for those prepared to operationalize AI strategies and drive tangible organizational change.

 

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