NEW DELHI: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi is starting an MBA programme in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence. The MBA programme will start from the fall semester of 2022 and will integrate contemporary management concepts, soft skills for developing individuals, and a wide range of data science tools, with a strong emphasis on problem-solving and managerial decision-making. MBA in Data Science and AI is open to undergraduate students of all backgrounds who have studied mathematics in Class 12. Students can apply on the official website of IIT Mandi – iitmandi.ac.in. The application process began on June 29 2022 and will conclude by July 17, 2022. Students who graduate from this MBA programme will find managerial-level work opportunities in consulting, analytics, and decision-making roles, as per an official statement from the IIT Mandi.

"Trying to predict the future is like trying to drive down a country road at night with no lights while looking out the back window." Peter Drucker's long career predates artificial intelligence. During his lifetime, leadership was all about people, while the data sciences were confined to coding machines. His seminal papers on management were essentially about applying the lessons of the past to exploit current market opportunities. Artificial Intelligence has potentially changed everything: both blurring the lines between human and mechanical processes and shifting the managerial focus from studying best practices to influencing consumer behavior.

I've looked previously at the rise of so-called automated leadership, with the scheduling and appraisal of employees largely done via algorithm, with researchers exploring just how people feel working under this kind of leadership. That is but one part of the infusion of automation into leadership, however, with things like forecasting and other forms of data analysis handed over to computers for a while now. A team from the University of York and software company MooD International are teaming up to use a mixture of AI and gaming technology to help management decision making. The work revolves around the so-called Monte Carlo Tree Search, which is a commonly used algorithm for decision-making in video games. The aim is to make a similar algorithm for use in the workplace.