Shaping Thinkers, Not Just Technicians: Leeds' Approach to AI-Era Learning

At the Colorado Business Economic Outlook Forum on Dec. 8, Jeremiah Contreras and Matthew Brady presented “Talent in Transition: Building an AI-Ready Workforce.”

Understanding the AI shift

Artificial intelligence has moved from the margins to the mainstream of business. It’s no longer a future concept—it’s a present reality that is reshaping roles, redefining skills and challenging how organizations build their workforce.

Kala and Shiv Khatri Endowed Faculty Scholar and Associate Teaching Professor Contreras and Assistant Teaching Professor Brady walked attendees through AI’s evolution— from early machine learning to agentic AI and the possibility of artificial super intelligence, a theoretical future where AI could surpass human intelligence across many domains.

So how is Leeds preparing students for this rapidly changing landscape? In a realm filled with uncertainty, evolving regulations and unpredictable effects, they outlined both challenges and opportunities.

“The reality right now is that our students who are graduating are facing higher unemployment,” said Contreras, noting that entry-level jobs are seeing the largest impact. “Entry-level roles are being compressed as routine tasks are automated, and the skillset required to enter the workforce is rising,” he said. To illustrate, he shared some of this year’s layoff headlines from companies like Workday, Salesforce, Microsoft and Amazon.

Preparing students for a new workforce

While organizations will still have a C-suite and layers of management, entry-level roles will increasingly disappear. “We need to prepare students with the judgment and oversight skills now expected at the start of their careers, skills traditionally seen in manager-level positions,” said Contreras. “Employers are really looking to hire proof, not potential.”

Employers want algorithmic thinking and evidence that students can solve problems. Coding isn’t essential, but critical thinking that incorporates logic and reasoning is. “Employers expect competence, judgment and adaptability,” he said.

This shift is changing higher education. Many students already use AI with little guidance or oversight, which Contreras sees as the biggest risk. For learning to be impactful, AI cannot simply act as an answer machine.

“Employers are really looking to hire proof, not potential.”

Jeremiah Contreras, associate teaching professor

When used well, AI can strengthen learning and push critical thinking, Brady believes. He uses AI as a teaching assistant for one of his courses, available 24/7 for students. His homegrown tool includes what the industry calls “guardrails,” redirecting students to course materials and lecture slides rather than doing the work for them.

“The same way that a human teaching assistant is artful and graceful in allowing for productive struggle,” AI can be trained to facilitate learning in the same way,” he said. An added benefit: the tool can help shy students who don’t necessarily advocate for themselves in class.

Redefining business education in an AI era

The Leeds AI Initiative, launched in March 2024 by Tandean Rustandy Endowed Dean Vijay Khatri, positions Leeds as a leader in responsible AI education. It addresses AI use in operations, research, and teaching and learning.

Leeds has integrated AI across all of its core business courses and is exploring AI integration across all undergraduate and graduate courses. “Every class should at least consider the implications of AI,” Contreras said. New courses are also in development, including Brady’s AI & Automation for Tomorrow’s Societies, an inaugural cohort program with Nagoya University in Japan launching this spring.

The biggest risk to students is allowing AI to think for them, Contreras warned. Leeds is setting an example in how to use AI intentionally, strategically and responsibly through a three-pronged approach:

• strengthening learning and critical thinking
• teaching AI as a workplace skill
• knowing where and when to implement tech-free zones

Educators must rethink how they assign and assess work, starting with K-12. “We must get this right,” said Contreras.

Business leaders will shape not just how AI is adopted, but how it impacts people and organizations. Their decisions will influence whether AI becomes a tool for progress or a source of disruption. For educators, the priority remains clear: keep teaching human skills—emphasizing what AI cannot replace. Contreras’ advice for all of us as we navigate this new era is to stay informed and engaged, monitor emerging AI policies, mentor students and keep doing what we do best: being human.

Curious about AI at Leeds? Learn about the Leeds AI Advisory Committee and the AI Club >>