In a recent interview with The Economic Times, Sarma said professionals should use AI as a tool for their careers rather than run from using it. He added that people should continue to learn as they grow throughout their careers.
“This is the age of agile continuous education and the onus is on the individual to keep learning. The transcript does not end when you graduate,” he said.
Sarma, a former vice-president of open learning at MIT Sloan School of Management, added that companies should provide more opportunities for employees to reskill and upskill.
While newer, more agile companies often provide these opportunities, older and more established companies are lagging behind.
“The challenge is that there is loyalty to the old regime of degrees,” he said. “I do believe in degrees. They give you foundation. But the way it will happen is that credentials and skills will not replace degrees, they will complement them.”
ASB launched its MBA program in 2018, opting for a shorter 12-month program consistent with other top business schools in Asia such as INSEAD and HKU Business School. Top institutions in the US, such as MIT, typically offer two-year programs.
Sarma said he felt the extended degree would survive at schools like MIT, but an accelerated program length would increasingly become the norm.
“The opportunity cost of spending two years away from the workplace is too high in the context of digital disruption and advancements in the field of technology, especially artificial intelligence.”
A recent study from Goldman Sachs predicted AI could replace as many as 300 million jobs in future, however this would be offset by the creation of new jobs amid a productivity boom.
Elsewhere AI was revealed to be the most in-demand skill for prospective MBA students in a 2023 study by Carrington Crisp.
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