IMD business school for management and leadership courses
AI Initiative
At IMD, we are exploring the frontiers of AI to offer organizations fresh perspectives and actionable recommendations and to put AI at the heart of our operating system. Our AI Initiative brings together the latest research, insights, and learning to advance knowledge and innovation in this realm.
Fast and focused – our AI journey in 2023
Recognizing the challenges facing conventional education settings – the time constraints of the instructor and learner relevance – with the advent of GenAI, we saw its potential to bridge these gaps. Specifically, we saw the possibility of using this technology to allow participants to ask questions and get answers based on the collective expertise of our faculty and vast sources of IMD thought leadership in the participants’ language long after leaving the classroom.
With a clear strategy and purpose, we created a highly personalized and interactive learning experience. In six weeks, we built two GenAI pilots: OWP+GPT, which combines the entire transcript of a classroom session with IMD articles and research, and then integrates with OpenAI’s ChatGPT-4 to deliver the first-of-its-kind capability globally. We delivered OWP+GPT in our signature Orchestrating Winning Performance program in June 2023.
Participants can ask questions in their language, engaging with the new technology at scale to accelerate their learning: over 700 queries were raised in 23 different languages. OWP+GPT received a gold Brandon Hill Tech award in the Best Advance in Emerging Learning Technology category 2023.
From programs to processes
After iterating and learning from OWP, we are scaling this AI facility to IMD’s MBA, EMBA, and open enrolment programs and, eventually, to our custom programs.
Having seen the added value in using AI to improve participant experience, we shared our insights across the organization to make our daily work more efficient and effective.
Within our finance department, we defined a pilot project to automate cash collection bookings: matching funds paid into our accounts with customer invoices – a repetitive and straightforward daily task. We now have a digital colleague: Lisa works daily for two hours from 6am to help our accountants with routine tasks so they can focus on more complex and valuable work.
Upskill at scale
We are clear that our AI-enabled pedagogies should enhance human potential and well-being rather than replace and harm humans. We recognized that we needed to train and upskill the entire workforce to transition from decentralized efforts and promote knowledge sharing and cooperation among internal and external stakeholders.
As a first step, we launched a multi-phase training program that demystified the technology so all staff could understand how it works and what it can do.
An AI center of excellence
We have shifted our focus from general-purpose AI (ChatGPT) to “IMD Expert AI” for our AI-enabled learning applications. This involves building our own AI center of excellence that can be leveraged across all functions. Having our AI expertise allows us to prioritize the security and privacy of our systems and data and ensure they are protected against cyber threats and unauthorized access.
Crucially, it is also technology-agnostic, meaning we will continue to have flexibility and won’t depend on individual suppliers.
