Bloomberg Businessweek AU's B-School Turns to AI
Sep 25, 2025
David Marchick, the Dean of American University's Kogod School of Business, leads an ambitious AI-first initiative in higher education. He discusses integrating AI into the curriculum, ensuring all students use AI tools from day one. Marchick emphasizes the importance of teaching students how to verify AI outputs and the critical thinking skills necessary in an AI-driven economy. He also shares insights on adapting faculty to this tech shift and highlights that curiosity and an entrepreneurial mindset are now key in admissions.
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Moment That Sparked The AI-First Shift
- Dean David Marchick recalls a Google executive saying AI will be as profound as fire or electricity.
- A VC told a student, 'you likely won't be replaced by AI, but you could be replaced by someone who knows AI,' which triggered the initiative.
Start By Teaching AI's Failures First
- Teach students how to use AI responsibly by starting with what it gets wrong before showing strengths.
- Train students to apply AI to core business tasks like underwriting, research, marketing, and negotiation.
Skepticism Is A Core AI Skill
- David Marchick emphasizes skepticism and testing because AI produces incorrect answers frequently.
- Students must probe and shape AI to produce reliable outputs rather than trust it blindly.