When will I get access to the course?

Once your payment is successfully processed, you’ll receive an email granting you access to the course content within two hours. To maximize your 90-day access period, we strongly recommend logging into the course platform as soon as you receive this notification. If you plan to pay online using a credit card, you may do so at any time. If you’ve selected an alternative payment method, please allow additional time for processing: Western Union: 3 business days Domestic wire: 5 business days International wire: 14 business days Loans: 12 business days

What are the learning requirements to successfully complete the course, and how are grades assigned?

Participants in AI for Leaders 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. In addition to module assignment completion, we expect participation in the social learning elements of the course by offering feedback on others’ reflections and contributing to conversations, as well as participation in the course’s AI-based tools and activities. Participants who fail to complete the course requirements won’t receive a certificate or be eligible to retake the course. More detailed information on course requirements will be communicated at the start of the program. No grades are assigned for AI for Leaders. Participants will be evaluated as complete or not complete.

What materials will I have access to after completing AI for Leaders?

You’ll have access to the materials in every prior module as you progress through the program. At the end of each module, you’ll also receive a downloadable PDF summary of the main takeaways. We hope these serve as a helpful resource after you finish the course. Access to course materials and the course platform ends after the 90-day on-demand access window.

How should I list my certificate on my resume?

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 for Leaders [On Demand Start Month and Year] List your certificate on your LinkedIn profile under "Education" with the language from the Credential Verification page: School: Harvard Business School Online Dates Attended: [The year you participated in the program] Degree: Other; Certificate in AI for Leaders Field of Study: Leave blank Grade: Complete Activities and Societies: Leave blank For the program description on LinkedIn, please use the following: AI for Leaders is a four-module, 25-hour online certificate program from Harvard Business School. The course equips professionals with a strategic understanding of how AI and machine learning are transforming organizations. Through real-world cases and interactive activities, participants discover how AI is changing the way work gets done, what it takes to scale its use responsibly, and methods large organizations can adopt to stay competitive.

What are the hands-on activities in AI for Leaders?

AI for Leaders features hands-on activities that give you practical experience applying generative AI to real-world business challenges. In Module 1, you’ll build an AI-native snack food company using generative AI tools. You’ll generate product ideas, research the market, and develop a marketing strategy with the help of downloadable instructions and datasets. After developing your product, you’ll share your results and reflections, gaining hands-on experience with generative AI in a real-world business scenario. In Module 2, you’ll build and test an AI reviewer for a regional restaurant chain, compare its performance against your own evaluations, and refine it based on the results. You’ll then design an AI Factory blueprint to deliver reliable results at scale, gaining hands-on experience with the systems and processes required to operationalize AI. In Module 3, you’ll lead an AI transformation for a regional retail chain, identify and prioritize a first use case, and evaluate pilot results across different markets. You’ll then decide whether to scale, explore further, or redesign the initiative, gaining hands-on experience with the strategic, organizational, and operational decisions required to move from AI experimentation to enterprise-wide transformation.

What’s the difference between AI Essentials for Business and AI for Leaders? Which course is right for me?

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.

What's the AI Course Assistant?

The AI Course Assistant is a generative AI-powered chatbot designed to enhance your learning experience by providing context-specific responses to course-related questions. Drawing from an integrated system of resources and materials, the Course Assistant delivers text-based answers and may also suggest relevant videos. While we strive for accuracy, please note that responses may occasionally be inaccurate or incomplete. Please review all information carefully. The AI Course Assistant is focused on course content. For program or technical support questions, please contact us via the Support Portal.

I’m interested in AI for Leaders, but I don’t come from a business background. Will I be able to follow the material and complete the exercises?

AI for Leaders is designed for a general audience and does not require an MBA, business expertise, or technical background. While the course uses some business terms and focuses on how AI is reshaping organizations and influencing leadership decisions, it does not assume any in-depth business knowledge. All technical and business terminology is clearly explained as it arises, and an AI Course Assistant is available to help with content-related questions along the way.

Is AI for Leaders a more current and refreshed experience compared to AI Essentials for Business?

AI for Leaders is an updated course designed to reflect the latest developments in AI. While it does revisit a few foundational ideas and cases from AI Essentials for Business, such as VideaHealth and the concept of the AI factory, it also features new and expanded content filmed in 2025. This includes in-depth, up-to-date case studies on how Moderna is using generative AI across its workforce, P&G’s development of a robust AI factory, JPMorgan Chase’s governance of GenAI, and Pernod Ricard’s digital transformation.

Digital Transformation & AI

AI for Leaders

Updated with new hands-on, interactive activities: Lead AI transformation by identifying opportunities, managing risks, and driving organizational adoption. Learn on your schedule with 90 days of full access starting the day you enroll.

Format
On-Demand
Time
16-25 hrs, 4-6 hrs/module
Price
$1,949

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Key Concepts

Understand how AI is reshaping organizations
Explore the concept of an "AI-native" company
Discover generative AI and machine learning's operational and strategic opportunities across business functions
Assess your organization's AI readiness and identify key capability and adoption gaps
Develop an effective AI strategy to gain a competitive advantage
Examine ethical AI-related challenges to implement it responsibly
Analyze the risks and benefits of agentic AI systems when used as teammates rather than tools
Rethink your system, processes, and roles to build an AI-powered organization
Navigate cultural, structural, and strategic barriers to successful AI scaling

Who Will Benefit

Drive large-scale AI adoption and cultural change within your established organization.

I enjoyed the real-life examples and stories and how they were integrated into the coursework.

82%

Felt more confident leading initiatives at work

11x

Return on investment with an average $20,466 salary increase

91%

Acquired new skills that were immediately applicable

What You'll Earn

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Certificate of completion from Harvard Business School Online awarded to Andreas Rodriguez for AI for Leaders program. — **Certificate of Completion**
Boost your resume with a Certificate of Completion from HBS Online
Earn by completing this course

Harvard Business School Online certificate for Kasey Laporte in Digital Transformation and AI. — **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

Course Syllabus

4 Modules, 16-25 Hours, 90-day access window

This course features access to an AI course assistant bot, powered by generative AI, to facilitate your successful completion of the course.

Download the full syllabus (PDF)

Module 1

AI Today

4-6 Hours

Discover AI’s transformational impact and identify how to close the gap between AI capabilities and organizational adoption to support your company in developing and implementing an AI strategy.

Highlights

0:43

GenAI Paves the Road

0:29

Lessons from Focus Fuel

Module 2

AI Factory and Ethics

4-6 Hours

Learn what an “AI-native” company is and machine learning fundamentals. Understand an integrated AI system’s structure and purpose and the ethical challenges you should consider during design and deployment.

Highlights

0:42

Labeling & Validating-Testing

0:26

Interpretability

Module 3

Scaling and Transformation

4-6 Hours

Explore the organizational, cultural, and strategic challenges of adopting AI at scale and how large companies initiate those efforts.

Highlights

0:29

Should We Build an AI Factory?

0:31

Deciding on the First Use Cases

Module 4

Building Competitive Advantage with GenAI

4-6 Hours

Examine how organizations integrate generative AI into workflows—as teammates rather than tools—and how it can be leveraged to build and sustain a competitive advantage. Assess key considerations in scaling AI and the risks and benefits of agentic AI systems.

Highlights

0:28

Competitive Advantage

0:24

Tool or Teammate?

Led by World-Renowned HBS Faculty

HBS Online courses are taught by Harvard Business School faculty, bringing the renowned HBS classroom experience directly to you.

Experience

Immersive Learning

Stay active by engaging in a new activity every three to five minutes, including multiple hands-on exercises that give you practical experience applying generative AI to real-world business challenges.

HBS Online courses allow you to immerse yourself in a
dynamic, interactive learning experience. You’ll engage in a new activity every
three to five minutes and apply your knowledge through polls, quizzes, and
problem-solving exercises designed to accelerate and reinforce your learning.

Real-World Connections

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.

See how the HBS Online course platform engages you in social learning. You exchange ideas, offer input, and seek out viewpoints from a community of learners gathered from around the globe. In the process, you learn from each other’s experiences and perspectives, and leave the program with a broader outlook on the world.

Real-World Cases

Immerse yourself in real-world, case-based examples brought to life by industry-leading experts from companies like Moderna, JP Morgan Chase Asset & Wealth Management, P&G, and VideaHealth.

Our courses allow you to apply your learning through
real-world examples and experience Harvard Business School’s signature case
method. Business leaders will share challenges they’ve faced. As the story
unfolds, you’ll leverage course concepts, vital tools and frameworks, and the
diversity of your peers’ perspectives to analyze the problem and determine a
path forward.

Real-World Outcomes

AI for Leaders FAQs

Free E-Book

Your Guide to Online Learning Success

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Solutions for Organizations

Empower Your Team with HBS Online

Bring HBS Online’s flexible, scalable, and high-impact learning experiences to your organization through shared learning and group discounts for teams of five or more.

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AI for Leaders

Key Concepts

Who Will Benefit

Digital Transformation Leaders

AI Champions

Startup Founders

What You'll Earn