Florin Grosu – Vice Dean, Bucharest Business School

Young managers and aspiring entrepreneurs who want to pursue an MBA need to decide if business school education remains valuable during the artificial intelligence (AI) era. The answer is affirmative but you need to understand your goals and select a program that adapts to modern times. The emergence of AI technology brings both promising prospects and fundamental doubts about business education. This analysis examines the positive aspects and negative consequences and challenging aspects of AI on MBA programs together with their implications for students.

The Good – smarter learning, sharper skills

The most compelling advantage of AI in business schools is how it enhances learning. AI enables courses that adapt to your learning speed and provides individualized leadership style feedback through tools while placing you in simulated business crisis situations. The best educational programs today use these tools to create customized learning experiences for each student.

 Students who want to work between business and technology should enroll in programs that combine business strategy with data science and AI ethics and machine learning. The number of interdisciplinary programs is increasing rapidly because they provide students with the technical abilities needed to lead organizations that use AI. The upcoming years will demand leaders who possess the ability to use data for decision-making and who can detect algorithmic bias and explain technical strategies to non-technical stakeholders.

The implementation of AI systems helps educational institutions maintain their alignment with current employment market requirements. Business schools use hiring trends and industry needs analysis to transform their course content into what employers actually require. Your graduation brings you both a degree and marketable skills that employers seek. Through AI technology, career services can now match students with job openings more effectively than before and mentors will also benefit from this advancement. Students can now use AI-powered simulations to build personalized portfolios and optimize their resumes and practice interviews through platforms that offer these services.

AI tools enable students with international interests to overcome language and location obstacles. The combination of real-time translation and collaborative technology enables students to work with international peers which replicates the global business environments they will encounter in their future careers. The business education experience becomes more inclusive and worldly because of this result.  The AI-driven classroom now extends beyond traditional time zone and physical location boundaries which provides students with more adaptable and varied learning paths.

The Bad – old models are breaking down

Every transition does not proceed without difficulties. Traditional classroom methods, including lectures and case studies together with group discussions, face increasing competition from new educational approaches. Professors who received their training through traditional methods might find it difficult to work with modern technology. Business schools resist changing their outdated curricula even though the outside world advances. The increasing difference between academic instruction and professional requirements at certain institutions creates pressure on students who seek their MBA to serve as a career advancement tool.

This affects you directly. You should not spend your time and financial resources on an MBA program that teaches outdated models from the 1990s. The rapid changes in AI technology require your MBA curriculum to adapt to these new developments. Your preparation for real-world challenges will suffer if programs fail to adapt to changing times.

The human aspects of business school education remain a major concern. The implementation of online and hybrid learning models results in fewer opportunities for spontaneous coffee chats and hallway brainstorms and networking dinners which are essential components of the MBA experience. AI improves content delivery yet it can sometimes diminish the depth of community engagement. The informal learning opportunities that occur through chance encounters prove difficult to duplicate through digital platforms and students frequently identify their peer network as their most important MBA benefit. Educational institutions need to make additional efforts to establish meaningful connections between students in hybrid and fully online learning environments.

The Ugly – the tough questions no one wants to ask

The most challenging part emerges at this point. The educational transformation of MBAs through AI technology also defines the necessary competencies for future business leaders. The remaining tasks for future leaders become unclear when AI systems perform market analysis and optimize logistics and generate financial forecasts. Your human abilities including judgment together with creativity and empathy and ethical reasoning will guide you to success. The educational institutions have different approaches to developing these essential skills. The essential nature of these skills remains unacknowledged by some educational institutions which view them as soft skills.

Most business schools discuss ethics but they do not conduct thorough assessments of AI tool social effects in their curricula. Your MBA studies will require you to handle decisions that affect human lives. Choose an educational program which provides you with ethical leadership training to lead with responsibility instead of focusing only on profit. Your education should teach you to detect data biases while teaching you about social automation effects and how to handle situations where technology advances against social values.

The overreliance on AI tools presents a significant danger to students. Relying too much on automated analysis and writing tools may prevent you from developing the critical thinking and problem-solving abilities which make leaders stand out. Look for educational institutions that require you to question assumptions and develop original solutions through complex issue debates. A top-quality MBA program should develop resilience together with adaptability and independent thinking which remain fundamental human qualities.

Access is another issue. Not every student enters with the same familiarity or access to AI-powered tools. If you’re coming from a non-technical background make sure your school offers support to level the playing field. This could include foundational training in data literacy, free access to learning platforms, or mentoring from tech-savvy peers. An equitable learning environment helps ensure that technological disruption doesn’t amplify existing disparities.

Finally, the rise of AI-generated assignments and essays raises questions about academic integrity. Schools are struggling to keep up with cheating detection. As a student who values growth and authenticity, you want an environment that fosters real learning—not one where shortcuts are the norm. Business schools must establish clear policies around the use of generative AI, and they must model ethical behavior for their students to emulate in the workplace.

What You Should Look for in an MBA Today

The decision to pursue an MBA remains valid during the AI era. The key to success in an MBA program lies in treating it as an investment opportunity instead of traditional student learning. Select a curriculum that adjusts its content to match current developments. The most effective educational programs update their courses frequently by using contemporary case studies and new technologies and diverse academic approaches. A program that works with industry leaders and tech innovators will deliver education that stays relevant to current trends.

Experiential learning should be your priority when selecting a program. The combination of live consulting assignments with hands-on projects and immersive simulations enables you to develop the kind of insight and adaptability which AI systems cannot match. Real-world challenges help you develop problem-solving abilities while teaching you to think quickly. You should look for opportunities to work with startups and multinational companies because they offer diverse perspectives.

Check how your selected school handles leadership development.  The top programs will teach you AI tool usage while simultaneously teaching you to lead with purpose and responsibility in a technology-driven world. The development of ethical leadership stands as an absolute necessity rather than an optional feature. The development of future-oriented leadership requires studying digital governance alongside sustainability and inclusive innovation through specific courses.

Surround yourself with people who elevate your game. Choose programs where faculty bring both technical expertise and emotional intelligence to the table, and where peers are curious, driven, and collaborative. A supportive learning environment is crucial for growth. The best business schools create cultures of openness and shared ambition, where you learn as much from your cohort as from your professors.

Final Thoughts

The MBA is no longer a guaranteed golden ticket, but it can still be a powerful accelerator for your career—if you choose the right program and mindset. AI is reshaping the world of business, and the best MBAs will equip you to not only survive but thrive in this new landscape. They will prepare you not just for your next job, but for the jobs that don’t yet exist, in industries that are only beginning to form.

Ultimately, ask yourself: Do I want to be a user of tools, or a creator of impact? If it’s the latter, a forward-thinking MBA can help you become the kind of leader the AI era truly needs. Not just data-savvy, but ethically grounded. Not just efficient, but visionary. Not just employable, but indispensable.

That’s not just a good investment. It’s a smart one.

ABOUT

• Dalia Bologan, Creative MBA Program Director, Bucharest Business School