AI programming art courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been introduced differently, from social media to common business trades. Now, Fresno State offers an AI in Business certificate program to all Fresno State students, regardless of their major, and non-students taking classes through the Division of Continuing and Global Education.

Associate professor in the Department of Information Systems and Decision Sciences at Fresno State Dr. Stephen Choi said AI will transform business even more profoundly than the internet, creating significant opportunities for people with the proper training.

“I’m telling students that a tsunami will hit you, and you’ve got to be prepared,” said Choi in a press release. “I’m recommending to every student that if you’ve got at least one slot in your schedule, take an AI class.”

Through these courses, Choi hopes that it will open opportunities for students. He compares the AI disruption to the 1980s PC revolution and the 1990s internet revolution. Just like what AI is doing, the past revolutions eliminated obsolete jobs like typists but created entirely new fields such as web design, podcasting, and social media marketing – the world may seem similar in the age of artificial intelligence. 

“I would say that 40% to 60% of white-collar jobs may be eliminated, freeing professionals to create new products and services,” Choi said. “If you’re a college student, you’ve got to be on the front line in learning AI and applying it to your profession. I hear from my former students that employers are asking about AI skills in job interviews.”

Business-oriented AI classes have been available to business administration students taking the computer information systems option for a while now. The Department of Computer Science also has offered courses in the theory and programming of AI. 

The business-oriented AI classes focus on applying AI to solve business problems, specifically when analyzing large financial data sets and creating new customer service platforms.

The new AI in Business certificate program offers an introductory course to business AI. To complete the certificate, students must file paperwork with the Department of Information Systems and Decision Sciences and take the required 15 units (four required courses and one elective course).

“The structure of the AI certificate is that we don’t just talk about the business value of AI, we teach how to build the application, we teach how to code,” Choi said. “This is a complete package for employers showing them that they can hire a person who has this certificate and knows how to code to solve a business problem.”

A senior majoring in business administration with an option in finance, Angel Martinez was interested in Choi’s theory of AI in Business and is currently studying to earn the AI in Business certificate. 

Martinez is a first-generation college student; he might want to become chief financial officer for a corporation eventually. Whatever happens in the future, Martinez believes his AI training will help him advance in his career. 

“Dr. Choi made a very convincing case that many business careers might be overtaken by AI and that I should prepare for the future,” Martinez said. “AI makes it much easier to compute analysis for financial data and perhaps predict future revenue. But I’ve learned that to get the most benefit from AI tools. You need to have both the domain knowledge of the business and also knowledge of how to program the tools.”

Choi will present two community workshops on AI this semester that are available to the public. “Part I: Introduction to AI” will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Oct. 27. “Part II: AI Algorithms Using Python” will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Nov. 3. 

Part I will cost $150, Part II will cost $200, or participants can register for both workshops for $300 — a $50 discount. Fresno State students, faculty, and staff will receive a $25 discount on one workshop registration. Both workshops will be offered in person at the University Business Center and online via Zoom. To register for the workshops, complete the registration form.