AI & Future of Work
Learning Activities
Test your understanding and reinforce your learning
Resources (4)
Ethan Mollick
Stephen Witt
Why This Module?
âAI wonât replace you. A person using AI will replace you.â - Unknown
In 2026 and beyond, AI literacy is not optional. This module covers:
- How to work productively WITH AI
- What AI can and cannot do
- How work is changing
- Skills that remain human
Connection: Youâve built leadership, strategy, and sustainability skills. Now understand the technological context youâll apply them in.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this module, you will:
- Use AI effectively for work and learning
- Understand AI capabilities and limitations
- Navigate AIâs impact on work
- Develop âhuman-in-the-loopâ skills
Week 1-2: Working With AI
Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI - Ethan Mollick
Rating: Essential | Wharton Professor | 2024
The Core Idea:
AI is not a tool like previous technologies. Itâs more like an alien co-worker - with alien strengths, weaknesses, and ways of thinking.
The 4 Rules for Working with AI:
Rule 1: Always Invite AI to the Table
- Use AI for everything (at first)
- Discover what works and what doesnât
Rule 2: Be the Human in the Loop
- AI generates, you evaluate
- Check outputs critically
- You are responsible for the result
Rule 3: Treat AI Like an Unpredictable, Smart Intern
- Capable but inconsistent
- Great ideas mixed with nonsense
- Needs supervision and direction
Rule 4: Assume This Is the Worst AI Youâll Ever Use
- Todayâs limitations are temporary
- Build habits that scale
What AI is Good At:
- Generating first drafts
- Brainstorming options
- Summarizing information
- Pattern recognition
- Code and technical tasks
- Explaining concepts
What AI is Bad At:
- Factual accuracy (hallucinations)
- Up-to-date information
- Understanding YOUR context
- Emotional intelligence
- Original creative vision
- Ethical judgment
The Jagged Frontier:
- AI is brilliant at some things, terrible at others
- The pattern isnât obvious
- You must explore to find the edges
Free Alternative: Ethan Mollickâs Substack âOne Useful Thingâ
Week 2-3: The AI Revolution Context
The Thinking Machine - Stephen Witt
Rating: Recommended | Journalism | 2025
The inside story of Nvidia and Jensen Huang - understanding where AI came from and where itâs going.
Related: âChip Warâ by Chris Miller (broader semiconductor context)
Week 3-4: Practical AI Skills
AI for Everyone - Andrew Ng (Free Course)
Rating: Essential | Free | 4-6 hours
What Youâll Learn:
- What AI can (and cannot) do
- How to spot AI opportunities
- How to work with AI teams
- Navigating ethical/societal issues
Link: https://www.coursera.org/learn/ai-for-everyone
Key AI Concepts for Leaders
Understanding AI Types
| Type | What It Does | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Generative AI | Creates new content | ChatGPT, Claude, DALL-E |
| Predictive AI | Forecasts outcomes | Sales predictions |
| Classification AI | Categorizes things | Spam filters |
Prompting Skills
Basic Prompting:
- Be specific about what you want
- Provide context
- Give examples of good output
- Iterate and refine
Advanced Prompting:
- Role assignment (âYou are an expert inâŠâ)
- Chain-of-thought (âThink step by stepâ)
- Multi-turn conversations
- Structured outputs
AI Ethics for Leaders
Key Questions:
- Whose data trained this AI?
- Who benefits and who might be harmed?
- What biases might be present?
- What should humans always decide?
Guidelines:
- Always verify factual claims
- Donât automate decisions requiring human judgment
- Disclose AI use when appropriate
- Consider impact on jobs and people
- Maintain human oversight
The Human Skills That Remain
Despite AI advances, these skills remain human:
| Skill | Why It Stays Human |
|---|---|
| Leadership | People follow people, not machines |
| Empathy | Genuine emotional connection |
| Ethics | Moral judgment and responsibility |
| Creativity (directing) | Knowing what to create and why |
| Strategic vision | Seeing where to go |
| Relationship building | Trust is human to human |
| Teaching | Human mentorship matters |
| Physical presence | Being there in person |
The Meta-Skill: Learning how to learn (Phase 0!) remains crucial.
Practical AI Applications
For Your MBA Studies
- Summarize books (AFTER reading)
- Generate quiz questions
- Create flashcards
- Explain difficult concepts
- Role-play scenarios
For Work
- Draft first versions
- Analyze data
- Prepare for meetings
- Create presentations
- Brainstorm options
For Leadership
- Prepare for difficult conversations
- Draft communications
- Analyze feedback
- Create training materials
TED Talks & Videos
| Resource | Speaker | Time | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| How AI Could Save (Not Destroy) Education | Sal Khan | 15 min | Essential |
| How AI Could Empower Any Business | Andrew Ng | 15 min | Essential |
Interactive Tools
AI Assistants to Practice With
| Tool | Purpose | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Claude | Anthropicâs AI assistant | claude.ai |
| ChatGPT | OpenAIâs chatbot | chat.openai.com |
| Gemini | Googleâs AI | gemini.google.com |
| Perplexity | AI-powered search | perplexity.ai |
AI Learning Tools
| Tool | Purpose | Link |
|---|---|---|
| NotebookLM | AI study assistant (Google) | notebooklm.google.com |
| Elicit | AI research assistant | elicit.org |
| Consensus | AI-powered academic search | consensus.app |
AI Creation Tools
| Tool | Purpose | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Midjourney | AI image generation | midjourney.com |
| Gamma | AI presentations | gamma.app |
| Otter.ai | Meeting transcription | otter.ai |
| Descript | AI video editing | descript.com |
Documentaries & Video Content
YouTube Deep Dives
| Channel | Video/Series | Why Watch |
|---|---|---|
| Ethan Mollick | AI in education talks | Co-Intelligence author |
| Two Minute Papers | AI research explained | Cutting-edge developments |
| AI Explained | Technical AI news | Clear explanations |
Netflix / Streaming
| Title | Platform | Relevance |
|---|---|---|
| AlphaGo | YouTube (free) | AI milestone documentary |
| The Social Dilemma | Netflix | AI ethics and society |
| Her | Various | AI relationship exploration (fiction) |
| Ex Machina | Various | AI ethics (fiction) |
Educational Series
| Title | Focus | Where to Find |
|---|---|---|
| 3Blue1Brown Neural Networks | AI fundamentals | YouTube |
| Stanford AI Courses | Academic AI learning | YouTube/Coursera |
| MIT Deep Learning | Technical foundations | YouTube |
Newsletters
| Newsletter | Author | Focus | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| One Useful Thing | Ethan Mollick | Practical AI use | Weekly |
| The Neuron | Pete Huang | AI news digest | Daily |
| Superhuman | Zain Kahn | AI productivity tips | Daily |
| Import AI | Jack Clark | AI research updates | Weekly |
Recommended Podcasts
| Podcast | Host | Why Listen | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Latent Space | swyx & Alessio | Technical AI depth, industry trends | Spotify |
| Practical AI | Changelog | Applied AI, real-world implementations | Spotify |
| No Priors | Elad Gil & Sarah Guo | AI investing, strategy perspectives | Spotify |
| HBR IdeaCast | Harvard Business Review | AI business implications | Spotify |
AI Learning Integration
For AI Practice
"Help me practice using you effectively.
Give me 5 different tasks to try with AI.
After I attempt each, evaluate my prompting technique
and suggest improvements."
For Creating AI Guidelines
"Help me create personal AI ethics guidelines.
Ask me questions about:
- What I'll use AI for
- What I won't delegate to AI
- How I'll verify AI outputs
Then help me write my guidelines."
Phase 7 Checklist
Week 1
- Read âCo-Intelligenceâ (first half)
- Applied the 4 rules to your AI use
- Experimented with AI for 5 different tasks
Week 2
- Finished âCo-Intelligenceâ
- Identified 3 ways AI could help your work
- Tried advanced prompting techniques
Week 3
- Completed AI for Everyone course
- Developed personal AI use guidelines
- Watched TED Talks
Week 4
- Practiced AI for MBA review (flashcards, quizzes)
- Identified human skills to double down on
- Created personal AI ethics guidelines
- Completed reflection questions
Reflection Questions
-
Which of the 4 rules (Mollick) is hardest for you to follow? Why?
-
Experiment: Use AI for 5 different tasks this week. What surprised you?
-
What tasks in your work could AI help with? What should stay human?
-
Your AI ethics: What will you never delegate to AI?
-
As AI improves, which of your skills become MORE valuable, not less?
Your MBA Journey: Complete
Congratulations! Youâve completed the core curriculum:
PHASE 0: Learned How to Learn
PHASE 1: Understood Yourself
PHASE 2: Understood Others
PHASE 3: Learned to Lead
PHASE 4: Navigated Conflict
PHASE 5: Built & Created
PHASE 6: Sustained & Thrived
PHASE 7: Prepared for AI Future
Whatâs Next?
- Extensions: Explore Tier 1-4 for specialized depth
- Practice: Apply what youâve learned
- Review: Use spaced repetition to maintain knowledge
- Teach: Share with others to deepen understanding
Final Reflection
-
What were your top 5 insights from this entire journey?
-
How has your thinking changed about leadership?
-
What will you DO differently as a result?
-
What do you want to learn next?
-
How will you maintain and grow what youâve learned?
Vela stastia, Zuzka! Youâre ready for whatever comes next.
Use with Any AI Assistant
Copy these prompts into Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, or NotebookLM for personalized Socratic tutoring. No account needed - bring your own AI.
Socratic Tutor
I'm studying AI & Future of Work (Phase 07 of my MBA program). Act as a Socratic tutor - don't give...
I'm studying AI & Future of Work (Phase 07 of my MBA program). Act as a Socratic tutor - don't give me direct answers. Instead, ask me questions to help me discover insights about these concepts: AI Collaboration, AI Literacy, AI Ethics, Future-Proof Skills. Start by asking what I already know about one of these topics, then guide me deeper with follow-up questions. Challenge my assumptions when appropriate. After each of my responses, either: 1. Ask a deeper follow-up question 2. Point out a gap in my reasoning 3. Connect my answer to another concept Let's begin.
Concept Quiz
Quiz me on AI & Future of Work. Ask 10 questions covering: AI Collaboration, AI Literacy, AI Ethics,...
Quiz me on AI & Future of Work. Ask 10 questions covering: AI Collaboration, AI Literacy, AI Ethics, Future-Proof Skills. Rules: - Mix question types (multiple choice, short answer, scenario-based) - Start easier, get progressively harder - After each answer, tell me if I'm right or wrong and explain why - Keep a running score - At the end, summarize what I know well vs. need to review Ask the first question now.
Framework Application
Help me apply Mollick's 4 Rules for AI, Jagged Frontier Concept, Human-in-the-Loop, AI Ethics Guidel...
Help me apply Mollick's 4 Rules for AI, Jagged Frontier Concept, Human-in-the-Loop, AI Ethics Guidelines, Prompt Engineering Techniques to a real situation in my life or work. First, ask me to describe a recent challenge or decision I faced. Then guide me through analyzing it using these frameworks: - Which framework applies best? - What would each framework reveal about the situation? - What would I do differently knowing this? Don't lecture - ask questions that help me discover the insights myself.
Case Discussion
I want to practice case analysis for AI & Future of Work. Give me a short business scenario (2-3 pa...
I want to practice case analysis for AI & Future of Work. Give me a short business scenario (2-3 paragraphs) involving AI Collaboration, AI Literacy, AI Ethics, Future-Proof Skills. Then ask me: 1. What's the core problem? 2. Which frameworks from AI & Future of Work apply? 3. What biases might cloud judgment here? 4. What would you recommend? After each answer, push back on my reasoning before moving to the next question.
Explain Like I'm 5
I'm studying AI & Future of Work and need to understand these concepts deeply: AI Collaboration, AI ...
I'm studying AI & Future of Work and need to understand these concepts deeply: AI Collaboration, AI Literacy, AI Ethics, Future-Proof Skills. For each concept, ask me to explain it in simple terms (as if to a child). If my explanation is unclear or wrong, don't correct me directly. Instead: 1. Ask clarifying questions 2. Give me a scenario that tests my understanding 3. Help me refine my explanation The Feynman technique says if you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.
Open AI Assistant
Tip: NotebookLM is great for uploading books and getting AI summaries.