Dean's Message
Leading in the Age of AI
We are in the early days of the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution, and already it is changing the way work gets done, accelerating decision-making, and enabling more personalized customer experiences. Business education is not immune. In fact, it is being reshaped as profoundly as any industry. Students can find answers in seconds, assessment is becoming more complex, the job market is evolving rapidly, and the skills that matter most are shifting toward judgment, persuasion, and responsible leadership.
At Ivey, we see this moment not as a disruption to manage, but as an opportunity to lead. Ivey’s bold new vision is to reimagine experiential business learning for the world. The rise of generative AI has created a powerful impetus to act on that vision – and to do so with urgency.
AI tools for accelerated learning
In January, we announced that every Ivey student, staff, and faculty member would have free access to top-level AI tools through nebulaONE, including leading-edge large language models from OpenAI, Anthropic, and others. Innovation on this scale requires champions, which is why we are investing in AI Fellows to help accelerate learning across the School.
Our AI Fellows are leaders from industry who bring insights to strengthen innovation in teaching, research, and operations, and position Ivey at the forefront of change. We also convene faculty and staff regularly to share emerging use cases, highlight new teaching practices, and encourage experimentation.
With the speed of Gen AI development, there is a real impetus for us to be proactive in thinking creatively about how teaching and learning are changing. The good news for Ivey is that case-based learning is more important than ever in a Gen AI world of commoditized business knowledge, and we are advancing a number of exciting initiatives using AI in the classroom.
AI in the classroom
At Ivey, we are already integrating AI into our curriculum across programs, from the HBA to MBA to Executive Education and Ivey Online. For example, Guneet Kaur Nagpal, Assistant Professor, Marketing and a Western Generative AI Teaching Fellow, has developed a GenAI-based simulation tool for her HBA1 Marketing Management and HBA2 Digital Marketing Analytics classes. Students gain hands-on experience in how GenAI can assist real-world marketing tasks for companies in a more methodical and structured manner.
Kyle Maclean, HBA ’12, PhD ’17, and Tiffany Bayley, both Teaching Scholars, have developed a new LLM-based case simulation, where students interact with a simulated AI “intern” that answers questions like a junior analyst providing data. The goal is to build students’ ability to ask precise, context-rich questions that produce useful insights.
A recent Leading with AI workshop immersed our MBA students in how AI is transforming decision-making and operations across industries. Through case-based learning and guest speakers, students explored leadership judgment, ethical use, and value creation, then put it to the test in an AI hackathon, building AI-enabled solutions to real business challenges.
It is certainly an exciting time, but we are alert to the risks: students bypassing the mental struggle needed for deep learning, outsourcing skill development, and undermining the very thing the case method was designed to build – sound judgment. The solution cannot be to ban AI. Instead, we are harnessing it in ways that strengthen learning and preserve what makes Ivey distinctive.
We are experimenting with tools that use AI to ask better questions, not give easy answers – such as our AIBEL (Artificial Intelligence Boosted Experiential Learning) and Sidekick pilots – and exploring AI-enabled feedback while keeping human judgment central to assessment.
Ivey Publishing is responding with timely teaching materials, including dozens of AI-focused cases from Ivey faculty and beyond on AI topics ranging from governing innovation, addressing the deepfake dilemma, AI-powered customer service, and the emergence and evolution of AI technology.
AI research: building insight
Ivey is also investing in research that helps leaders understand how AI is transforming organizations, leadership, and work. Our faculty are actively engaged in AI-related research projects, and we are strengthening support for this work through internal funding and the Aufreiter Pentland AI Research Award, generously established by Nora Aufreiter, HBA ’81, LLD ’18, and Lawrence Pentland, HBA ’81. The purpose of the award is to expand our knowledge of how AI might be better leveraged in business education. Our goal is not only to publish research, but to bring those insights into the classroom and into the boardroom so that Ivey remains a trusted source of practical, evidence-based guidance in a fast-changing world.
Industry guidance and responsible leadership
We also benefit from an AI Industry Working Group of the Ivey Advisory Board, led by Salim Teja, HBA ’96, providing strategic advice and industry insight on the evolving applications, implications, and opportunities of AI in business and business education.
This is a defining moment for business schools. As Canada’s leader in business education, we not only have an opportunity – but an obligation – to lead change and help shape the future.
We are committed to applying AI ethically, transparently, and fairly, protecting privacy, addressing bias, and ensuring equitable use.
As alumni, you are part of this journey as innovators and decision-makers, as partners who can help us stay grounded in real-world needs, and as advocates for responsible leadership. Thank you for your support as we build the capabilities our students and organizations will need to thrive in an AI-enabled economy.