How will AI shape the business school classroom in 2026?

The new year is here, and as we look ahead to 2026—our minds filled (hopefully) with excitement and anticipation—one topic feels entwined with all the paths that lie ahead: artificial intelligence (AI). 

AI remains a driving force behind much of the activity unfolding across the business landscape. From the technology sector, where companies such as Google and Meta are investing heavily while competing in a large language model (LLM) arms race, to the finance industry, where banks are increasingly filling positions in emerging areas such as prompt engineering and model fine-tuning.  

The recent proliferation of AI across virtually all sectors means business schools, too, have had to adapt to ensure they can equip new generations of business leaders with the skills they need. The likes of Harvard Business School and The Wharton School have incorporated AI courses into their MBA programs. Meanwhile, students can now enroll in specialized artificial intelligence master’s degrees in countries such as France, Spain, and the UK. 

Reflecting AI’s broad application across industries and functions, business schools more generally have incorporated the technology across their curriculums—a move welcomed by applicants, 46% of whom say AI is essential to their ideal curriculum, according to our latest research. 

So, as we anticipate another year of evolutions and innovations in AI, we’ve asked experts for their predictions on how we might see the technology further enhance the business school experience in 2026.

Hyper-personalized teaching materials to fit your needs 

Business schools have long focused on providing students with opportunities to customize their learning, helping participants from diverse professional and geographical backgrounds to get more from their studies. 

Particularly within generalist degrees such as the MBA and Master in Management, students often join with varying amounts of prior relevant knowledge. But, using AI, schools are increasingly able to give students greater ability to fill gaps in their knowledge. 

At emlyon business school in France, for example, certain courses within the school’s Master in Management degree allow students to access an AI Exercise Assistant which they can use to generate exercises catering to various knowledge levels, depending on their needs. 

“Students submit their answers to the chatbot, which not only corrects them but can also provide hints, explanations, and reminders of key course concepts,” explains professor Aurelien Baillon, professor of Economics at emlyon, who feels this use of AI will become more widespread in 2026. “This approach has helped to raise the overall level of the course, while at the same time offering each student personalized, adaptive feedback.”

Generative AI can also be used to efficiently create new learning materials and experiences that are aligned with recent developments in the workplace and therefore highly relevant to the needs of students preparing for life after graduation. This is important within areas that continue to see rapid change, such as tech and business, says Dr Dimitrios Tsekouras, associate professor of Transformative Education and Strategic Innovation Lead in EdTech at Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University. 

“GenAI allows for an efficient adaptation of teaching material using text-based generative AI tools (eg. ChatGPT, Gemini, Deepseek) in combination with AI-generated video tools (eg. HeyGen, Synthesia, Elai). This approach allows faculty to scale high-quality content without re-recording every variation and adapting to the fast-changing knowledge,” he says. 

Leading AI firms partnering with business schools

With generative AI rapidly developing on a seemingly daily basis, experimentation is key to advancing AI skills. For students seeking to enhance their literacy and become adept with AI tools, partnerships between business schools and AI firms can provide access and space to experiment. 

Professor Nils Stieglitz, president and CEO of Frankfurt School of Finance & Management in Germany, predicts that 2026 will be marked by a growth in partnerships between business schools and AI firms. 

In 2025, Frankfurt School announced a collaboration with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT Edu across its teaching, administration, and research. This has not only improved the school’s productivity and innovation, he says, but has also helped students develop their AI skills and allowed faculty to adapt courses dynamically using AI tools. 

Similarly, a number of business schools in France established partnerships in 2025 with pioneering French firm Mistral AI. NEOMA Business School was the first to sign up; its partnership provides every new student with a license for Mistral’s Le Chat LLM, which they can use to analyze course content, simulate learning experiences, and help plan their workload. Professors meanwhile can use Le Chat to help generate learning materials such as lesson plans and case studies. 

“All community members, including (at NEOMA) young alumni, gain access to advanced AI tools, boosting employability and digital fluency,” says Alain Goudey, associate dean for digital at NEOMA. 

“Deployment at school scale means acting as a unified AI interface for professors, students, and staff, with use cases tailored for each group and the ambition to create an augmented, more collaborative, and efficient campus environment,” he adds. 

With key cutting-edge tools at your fingertips and the prospect of a more personalized learning experience than ever before, these predictions could indeed see AI enhance the business school journey in 2026. Plus, they are just two possible areas for growth—there’s also the evolving use of AI personal tutors to support students with coursework, agentic teaching assistants who can provide clarity within lectures, and even digital twins of professors to accompany students throughout the entire study journey. 

So, is AI a reason to be excited about going to business school in 2026? Time will tell…