New Berkeley online course brings AI education to the C-Suite

Berkeley Executive Education has teamed up with online learning provider Emeritus to offer a new course on artificial intelligence (AI) in business, helping C-suite executives gain critical knowledge of the rapidly evolving technology.

The AI: Business Strategies and Applications course is an online certificate for professionals looking to upskill and boost their careers with recent advancements in applications of the technology in business.

The programme runs for two months and introduces basic applications of AI. It requires four to six hours of study per week and costs a total US$2,800 to pursue, making it an affordable and convenient option for the working professional. 

“We are building a growing portfolio of online courses in partnership with Emeritus across the domains of digital transformation and data science within business applications.

“The AI programme is a logical addition to the portfolio as we aim to extend the critical work of our faculty to industry professionals across the globe where AI is, and will penetrate almost every aspect of business need and opportunity,” Berkeley Executive Education CEO Mike Rielly said in a media release.

No longer the stuff of science fiction, AI is transforming industries from healthcare to manufacturing and beyond. 

Globally, the AI market is quickly expanding as businesses and economies continue to pump billions of dollars into research and development. Valued at US$16.06 billion in 2017, it is expected to reach US$190.61 billion by 2025, growing at a breakneck CAGR of 36.62 percent during the forecast period, according to Markets and Markets.

By 2030, it is expected to contribute around US$15.7 trillion to the global economy, equal to the total output of China and India combined, a recent PWC report said.

Yet, the number of trained professionals there are to fill jobs in the industry remain few and far between.

These challenges are prompting universities to ramp up their AI education offering, some supplementing their courses with online credentials, some offering entirely new programmes with a dedicated focus on AI.

But with AI advancing faster than these education options can churn graduates, it’s becoming increasingly pertinent for business leaders to get themselves clued up on the technology. A lack of understanding could translate into their refusal to adopt AI, which could lead to them losing out on key business opportunities.

This is where courses like Berkeley and Emeritus’ two-month programme come in. 

In addition to learning the basics, participants of the course will also work on an AI-related project that they can apply to their own organisation.

They will learn how to organise and manage successful AI application projects, grasp the technical aspects of the technology well enough to help them communicate effectively with their technical teams, and learn how to avoid the pitfalls associated with AI adoption.

UC Berkeley will deploy some of its best professors in information and communication technology to teach the programme.

Participants will learn from Haas School of Business faculty members including Associate Professor and Faculty Director of the Fisher Center for Business Analytics, Zsolt Katona; Associate Professor and Co-Director of the Computational Culture Lab, Sameer B. Srivastava; Adjunct Professor and Research Scientist, Thomas Lee; and Visiting Scholar and Executive in Residence, Matthew Stepka. 

Participants will also learn from Pieter Abbeel, Engineering Professor and Director of UC Berkeley’s Robot Learning Lab.