Artificial intelligence may be changing the way businesses operate, but figuring out how to put it to work — and when not to — can be a challenge.
Auburn University is hoping to make that a little easier for Alabama business leaders with a new course coming to its downtown Birmingham location this fall.
Practical AI for Business Leaders will be offered Oct. 15 through Auburn University’s Harbert College of Business as part of the university’s expanding professional and executive education program in Birmingham.
The course is designed for professionals without a technical background and will focus on ways artificial intelligence, machine learning and generative AI can be used to improve productivity, decision-making, communication and workflow efficiency.
Rather than focusing only on what AI can do, the course will also discuss its limitations and some of the challenges businesses face when trying to put the technology to use.
Participants will work with real-world examples and hands-on applications, including ways ChatGPT and other large language models can serve as business assistants. The goal is for participants to leave with an action plan for using AI in their own work, teams or departments.
The course will also tackle issues businesses must consider when adopting AI, including data quality, governance, privacy, bias and responsible use.
The class is designed for a broad range of professionals, including managers and leaders in operations, human resources, marketing, finance and supply chain, as well as entrepreneurs, small-business leaders and technical professionals moving into leadership positions.
Justin Farr, a professor of practice in Auburn’s Harbert College of Business, will teach the course. Farr teaches artificial intelligence, database management, programming and application development and has more than 20 years of information technology experience. His background includes work in higher education, health insurance, commercial insurance and veterinary medicine.
The AI course is just one piece of Auburn’s growing presence in Birmingham.
Harbert College recently launched Auburn in Birmingham Professional & Executive Education, an initiative aimed at bringing Auburn faculty and business expertise directly to working professionals, executives and organizations in the Birmingham area.
“In simple terms, the program brings Auburn’s business expertise directly to working professionals and leadership in the Birmingham region,” said Greg Gagliano, Harbert’s director of Birmingham operations.
Most of the open-enrollment courses are short, non-credit, non-degree programs designed around the schedules of working adults. Participants receive a certificate of completion and a LinkedIn digital badge with a verification ID.
The first six courses cover subjects ranging from artificial intelligence and accounting to leadership and supply chains. After the Oct. 15 AI course, Accounting for Non-Financial Managers is scheduled for Nov. 12. Four more courses are set for 2027: Leading Change in Organizations, Jan. 27-28; Customer Insights, AI and Business Growth, Feb. 25; Leadership from the Inside Out: Leading Yourself. Inspiring Others. Driving Results, March 24-25; and Leading Responsive Supply Chains, April 21-22.
The programs are being offered at Auburn’s Birmingham facility in the historic Hood-McPherson Building downtown. Auburn completed its renovation of the building in 2024, giving Harbert College a permanent presence in the city and a place to offer professional education closer to Birmingham’s business community.
And Auburn doesn’t plan to stop with the initial lineup.
“It is truly an exciting opportunity for the Harbert College of Business to begin offering courses at the Auburn-in-Birmingham facility. There have been so many questions about when we would start, and it’s a pleasure to announce our first six courses,” said Michael Wesson, associate dean of graduate and executive programs at Harbert. “These six courses are just the beginning. We fully expect to expand our offerings over time, and several companies have inquired about customized programs for their employees as well.”
Practical AI for Business Leaders is scheduled for Oct. 15 at Auburn in Birmingham. The program fee is $795 per participant, and registration is open through the Harbert College of Business.
Registration: Practical AI for Business Leaders — Auburn in Birmingham
Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].
