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AIS 301 · Unit 1 of 8

AI for Business Leaders

AI, Sustainability and the Purpose of the Firm

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Learning objectives

After completing this unit, you will be able to:

  • Apply frameworks from \
  • Apply the frameworks in "AI for Business Leaders" to a real management decision
  • Make progress on your AI, Sustainability and the Purpose of the Firm applied project applied project

Why this matters

AI for Business Leaders is essential to AI, Sustainability and the Purpose of the Firm. Lessons build fluency with anchor-company examples, worked problems, and assessments on the unit page.

Lesson

Unit overview

Complete all 5 lessons in order. Each lesson follows the program authoring standard: conceptual prose, worked examples, practice problems, and managerial judgment prompts. Finish unit exercises and the knowledge check before marking the unit complete.

Connection to applied work

This unit feeds directly into AI, Sustainability and the Purpose of the Firm applied project. As you read, capture notes, examples, and data you can reuse in that deliverable. Strong students finish each unit with a draft section of their project, not just highlights.

Practice

  1. Write a one-page summary of this unit in your own words without looking at the lesson.
  2. Find a real company example (public filing, news article, or personal experience) that illustrates the main concept.
  3. Draft one paragraph recommending an action a manager should take based on this unit.
  4. Add at least three terms from this unit to your course glossary.

Knowledge check

Answer these without notes before marking the unit complete:

  1. What is the central idea of "AI for Business Leaders"?
  2. What mistake do beginners most often make when applying this material?
  3. How does this unit help you complete AI, Sustainability and the Purpose of the Firm applied project?
  4. What is one decision you face this month where this unit applies?

Key takeaways

  • Apply frameworks from \
  • Business concepts only matter when they change a decision.
  • Your AIS 301 assessment (Responsible AI, sustainability strategy, stakeholder governance, and long-term value.) rewards applied understanding, not memorization.

Unit assessment

Complete each section below. Score 80%+ on the quiz to finish this unit's assessment.

40% applied project35% knowledge checks25% reflections

Exercises

Apply what you learned in this unit with structured practice.

ExerciseApplied practice: AI for Business Leaders45 min
Complete a focused practice exercise on **AI for Business Leaders**. 1. Choose a real company, product, or situation you know. 2. Apply one core framework from this unit to analyze it. 3. Write your analysis in 300–500 words with a clear recommendation. 4. Cite at least one credible source.

Deliverable

300–500 word analysis document saved to your portfolio under AIS 301.

Rubric

  • • Framework applied correctly (not just named)
  • • Specific evidence from a real example
  • • Clear recommendation with tradeoffs acknowledged
  • • Professional writing with source citation
ExerciseDrill: AI for Business Leaders30 min
Work through the practice problems in the unit lesson without looking at notes. Then check your work against the lesson and write a short reflection: - What you got right - One mistake you caught - One concept to review before the next unit

Deliverable

Problem solutions + 150-word reflection in your AIS 301 workbook.

Rubric

  • • Attempted all practice items before checking answers
  • • Honest reflection on errors
  • • Identifies a specific review action

Memo / written deliverable

Write a concise managerial deliverable for this unit.

MemoExecutive memo: AI for Business Leaders50 min
Write a one-page executive memo applying **AI for Business Leaders** to a business decision. **Format (SCR):** - **Situation:** Context in 2–3 sentences - **Complication:** What problem or opportunity exists - **Resolution:** Your recommendation and rationale Maximum one page, 12pt font, no appendix.

Deliverable

One-page PDF memo uploaded to your portfolio.

Rubric

  • • SCR structure is clear in first 30 seconds of reading
  • • Recommendation is specific and actionable
  • • Evidence supports the conclusion (not just opinion)
  • • Concise: no filler paragraphs

Knowledge quiz

Check your understanding before marking the unit complete.

1. Head of AI Products Raj Patel reports ML routing cut empty miles 11% across 8,400 vehicles. Which claim is appropriate for the board?

2. An LLM drafts Scope 3 narrative for investors. What control is mandatory before send?

3. Which decision is primarily a governance problem rather than a prediction problem?

4. UrbanGrid shares load curves with a utility for a tariff discount. Primary privacy/commercial risk?

5. Use-case workshop scores fatigue computer vision high impact but low feasibility and high risk. Best action?

6. 3-year routing ROI includes $940 tCO2e/yr at $45/t shadow price. How should carbon appear in the memo?

7. Dispatcher override rate stays 12% while model accuracy rises. What does this signal?

8. Which pairing correctly describes AI types at UrbanGrid?

Next unit: Responsible AI →