Introduction
In an era where ChatGPT can draft business plans, Midjourney can design marketing materials, and AI tools can analyze financial data faster than any human, a pressing question emerges for business educators: What should we teach when AI can provide instant answers to nearly any question?
This existential challenge demands more than incremental adjustments to our curriculum. At Suffolk University’s Sawyer Business School, we’re developing a comprehensive response through the AI-Human Educational Synergy (AHES) Framework—a new approach to business education that prepares students not to compete with AI but to leverage it while contributing distinctly human value.
The Challenge: Beyond Information Delivery
Traditional business education has centered on knowledge acquisition and application. Students learn frameworks, memorize formulas, practice analytical techniques, and apply these to business cases. But when AI can instantly generate this information, summarize research, and apply frameworks to novel situations, what unique value does business education provide?
Rather than resisting this technological shift, the AHES Framework embraces it by focusing on developing four essential competency domains that enable students to create value in partnership with AI tools.
The AI-Human Educational Synergy Framework
The AHES Framework identifies four interconnected domains that business students need to develop to thrive in an AI-augmented workplace:
1. AI Literacy: “How does it work?”
AI Literacy encompasses the ability to effectively utilize AI tools while understanding their capabilities and limitations. This includes:
- Strategic selection of appropriate AI tools for business problems
- Effective prompt engineering to generate useful outputs
- Critical evaluation of AI-generated information
- Understanding of how different AI models function
In Sawyer’s Business Analytics and Information Systems program, courses like ISOM-260 (Artificial Intelligence for Business) and ISOM-360 (Artificial Intelligence for Business Bots) already develop these competencies, focusing on both the technical understanding and practical application of AI tools in business contexts.
2. Cognitive Elevation: “What’s missing or wrong?”
Cognitive Elevation represents the capacity to transcend AI limitations through critical thinking, domain expertise, and creative synthesis. This involves:
- Identifying gaps, biases, or logical flaws in AI reasoning
- Testing multiple hypotheses that AI outputs might overlook
- Integrating domain expertise with AI-generated insights
- Developing novel frameworks that go beyond current AI capabilities
Our Business Analytics concentration, with courses like ISOM-230 (Big Data, Business Intelligence and Analytics) and ISOM-330 (Applied Statistics and Predictive Analytics), builds these skills by challenging students to move beyond the algorithms to develop deeper insights and novel approaches.
3. Social Intelligence: “How do we connect?”
Social Intelligence focuses on building relationships, influencing stakeholders, and navigating complex social dynamics in human-AI environments. This includes:
- Persuasive communication and storytelling with data
- Strategic relationship building across diverse stakeholders
- Effective facilitation of human-AI collaborative teams
- Creating psychological safety in technology-mediated environments
Through project-based experiences in courses like ISOM-341 (Project Management for Modern Organizations) and ISOM-424 (IS Strategy Consulting), students develop these human-centered skills that remain distinctly valuable even as AI capabilities advance.
4. Ethical Leadership: “Should we do this?”
Ethical Leadership involves making principled decisions about AI implementation that consider diverse perspectives and long-term impacts. This encompasses:
- Recognition of ethical implications in AI applications
- Incorporation of diverse perspectives in technology decisions
- Evaluation of unintended consequences and second-order effects
- Alignment of AI implementation with organizational values
Our Cybersecurity concentration, including courses like ISOM-240 (Data Privacy and Compliance) and ISOM-340 (Cybersecurity Fundamentals), already addresses aspects of these competencies, particularly around responsible data use and ethical considerations in information systems.
Business Value Through Integration
At the center of the AHES Framework lies “Business Value”—the creation of sustainable competitive advantage through the synergistic application of AI tools and human capabilities. This integration emphasizes that these four domains are not isolated skill sets but interconnected competencies that, when developed together, enable graduates to:
- Identify opportunities for value creation using AI (AI Literacy)
- Develop innovative solutions that transcend what AI alone can achieve (Cognitive Elevation)
- Build coalitions to implement these solutions effectively (Social Intelligence)
- Ensure responsible deployment that creates sustainable value (Ethical Leadership)
Potential Application of AHES at Suffolk
The AHES Framework isn’t just a theoretical model—it provides a practical roadmap for evolving business education. At Sawyer Business School, there are several potential ways this framework could be implemented:
Course Enhancement Opportunities
Existing courses could be enhanced to explicitly address all four AHES domains. For example:
- Adding ethical decision-making components to AI technical courses
- Incorporating persuasive communication elements into analytics courses
- Introducing critical evaluation of AI limitations across the curriculum
- Developing human-AI collaboration scenarios in project-based courses
Cross-Domain Learning Possibilities
We could create learning experiences that intentionally span multiple domains:
- Case studies requiring students to apply all four competency areas
- Integrated assignments that connect technical implementation with ethical considerations
- Industry projects that emphasize both analytical rigor and stakeholder communication
- Reflection activities that help students articulate their unique value in relation to AI
Assessment Innovation Concepts
New approaches could be developed to evaluate students’ capabilities across all four domains:
- Portfolio assessments demonstrating competencies in each area
- Scenario-based evaluations of integrated decision-making
- Peer and self-assessment of human-AI collaborative skills
- Industry feedback on students’ ability to create value through AI integration
The Path Forward
As AI continues to transform business, education must evolve from teaching students to compete with AI to developing professionals who leverage AI while contributing uniquely human value. The AHES Framework provides a structure for this evolution, ensuring that our graduates are prepared not just for the tools of today but for the challenges of tomorrow.
This framework represents an opportunity for Suffolk University’s Sawyer Business School to take a leading role in educational innovation for the AI era. By exploring and potentially implementing this approach, we could position our programs at the forefront of business education while ensuring our graduates thrive in increasingly AI-augmented workplaces. We welcome thoughts and input from faculty, students, and industry partners as we consider how this framework might shape our educational offerings.
For more information about the AHES Framework or to get involved in its development, contact Hasan Arslan at harslan@suffolk.edu.
