Analytics at Wharton Announces AI at Wharton

Analytics at Wharton (AAW) is thrilled to announce that the Wharton School’s diverse research and teaching resources in the areas of Artificial Intelligence and smart technologies are being consolidated under the umbrella of a significant new research and teaching initiative, AI at Wharton (AIW).

Wharton has long been a pioneer in exploring how the tools of AI can be utilized to solve business problems. The new AIW initiative will significantly broaden the scope of the School’s AI ambitions, enabling Wharton to be recognized by researchers, students, and practitioners as a global focal point for not only the study of how AI can be leveraged in business applications, but also how advances in AI are transforming society as a whole. Specifically, the aim of AIW is to:

• Evaluate the development and adoption of AI technologies
• Explore the intersection of human behavior and AI systems and their resultant impacts on business and society
• Educate the next generation of AI professionals

At the helm of AIW are Mary Purk, Executive Director, and four esteemed faculty co-directors known as AI experts in their respective fields: Kartik Hosanagar, John C. Hower Professor of Operations, Information and Decisions, Robert Meyer, Frederick H. Ecker/MetLife Insurance Professor of Marketing, Stefano Puntoni, Sebastian S. Kresge Professor of Marketing, and Prasanna (Sonny) Tambe, Associate Professor of Operations, Information and Decisions.

“AIW will be a flagship center under the AAW umbrella,” says Eric Bradlow, Vice Dean of Analytics at Wharton and K.P. Chao Professor of Marketing, Statistics, Education, and Economics. “With the growing importance of AI, and in particular generative AI, AIW’s impact will be significant throughout both our analytics research and curriculum, but also throughout the entire Wharton School. Under Kartik, Bob, Stefano, and Sonny’s faculty leadership, we have the diverse skills to provide broad-ranging impact.”

“We need to adopt a ‘human-and-machine’ mindset. That is, not just understanding how algorithms can mimic human decision processes,” says Puntoni, “but how we can leverage the unique capabilities of algorithms and humans – which are different and complementary – for the benefit of business and society.”

“AIW will combine the latest research and hands-on business applications of both AI and machine learning by providing research and practicum opportunities for students, business leaders, and faculty to impact and strengthen business and society,” says Purk. “Our faculty members’ expertise represents diverse topics of AI to support major advancements in the following fields: AI ethics and management, consumer adoption of AI, and entrepreneurship and business applications.”

If you would like to learn more or get involved, click here.