💥 Update: AI tech in the course - ChatGPT + features released in December, Claude, Google Gemini 2.0, Microsoft Copilot, Google AI Studio, Google NotebookLM, Crew.AI, and other agent tools. Given the recent advancements by OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, and other leading companies, there will also be more focus on agentic capabilities. You will also get hands-on building AI with APIs from Anthropic and OpenAI.

♻️ My goal is to make this course valuable by encouraging you to focus on specific scenarios relevant to your work. You will learn several foundational AI tools, and learning will accelerate when you apply these skills to your workflow or problems.

AI IS TRANSFORMING LEADERSHIP:

To remain relevant in the AI era, you need a base level of AI technical knowledge to lead effectively and drive business results. Leaders who blend business savvy with technical expertise will lead the intelligence economy.

If you seek an identity as an influential and innovative leader, technical acumen of AI capabilities, frameworks, and technology is no longer optional. 

Leaders with a technical foundation act quicker and more effectively to exploit AI for business value.

Your AI vision depends on your creativity to weave technical capabilities and business strategies to accelerate productivity and business outcomes.

Creative and growth-minded leaders understand they must adapt their identity to remain relevant in the intelligence economy.

The intelligence economy is led by leaders who blend business savvy with data and AI technical acumen.

This course will empower you to strengthen your AI technical expertise:

✅ You will be able to boost your productivity and creativity.

✅ You will be able to earn more credibility with engineers and technical stakeholders.

✅ You will be able to show up more confident when speaking about AI strategy and technology.

✅ You will be able to connect AI concepts to power your business strategy.

✅ You will be able to boost your AI influence with key executives and within your industry.

✅ You will be able to call BS and negotiate more effectively with AI technology vendors.

The truth is you will not earn an identity as an AI-savvy business leader until you practice and use AI. The best way is to learn AI concepts and tech suitable for leaders and get hands-on to increase your confidence.

🙌 You’ll engage with AI hands-on to grasp key concepts, gaining practical understanding without needing to be an engineer.

WHAT WE WILL FOCUS ON:

🧠 AI Assistants: collaborating with AI assistants as thought partners through text, voice, images, video, and files to derive insights, synthesize and generate content.

♻️ AI Workflows: systems where LLMs and tools are orchestrated through predefined workflow steps using rules and tools to automate a scenario and achieve an outcome.

🤖 AI Agents: systems where LLMs dynamically plan and execute strategies with tools to accomplish a goal.

WHY THIS COURSE:

AI lessons and assignments for leaders and non-technical professionals, not engineers. Many AI courses are too technical for leaders and, therefore, not a good use of their time. Leaders do not need to understand concepts at the technical depth as an engineer. 

Practical applications of AI - Leaders must cut through the AI hype and understand what is possible through proven technical frameworks and tools explained at the right altitude and in a business context.

Guidance from a seasoned technology leader and B-School instructor - Leaders need timely and effective answers to their questions about AI concepts and technologies, not more hype videos. This course is designed by a leader for a leader.

Personalized feedback and coaching (limited to 20 students) - Since most people have different levels of knowledge and unique interests, I purposely limit the cohort size to provide cohort members with the guidance they need.

WHY LEARN FROM JAMES:

James has a unique mix of technology and business experience, including over 20 years of building data and AI platforms and products at leading companies, including Microsoft. He has held technical roles as a data scientist and IT leader (Microsoft), and executive roles as a Chief Product Officer, Chief Information Officer, and Chief Data and AI Architect. 

As a Berkeley Haas instructor for the Data Strategy and AI Strategy executive education courses, he has instructed over 3,000 students worldwide. James is well-known for translating technical topics into easy-to-understand concepts for a business audience.

Ex-Microsoft data scientist and product manager practitioner with hands-on expertise in building data and AI products. Earned a Master of Information and Data Science from UC Berkeley.

As a certified leadership coach, James brings a coach-like style to learning experiences by understanding each person's unique needs and meeting them where they are. James has coached hundreds of tech pros and leaders at top companies, including Microsoft, AWS, and GitHub.

This course is for leaders (and non-technical professionals) who recognize the importance of AI technical acumen.

You should not take this course if:

· You are a leader in an organization or sector not influenced by AI.

· You are a leader that does not need basic technical acumen of AI concepts, frameworks, and tools.

· You are a leader that does not learn visually and through hands-on projects.

· You are a leader with a fixed mindset and not open to learning AI technology.

· You are a leader with deep technology expertise, such as a CTO.

· You believe technical acumen does not boost leadership creativity and impact.

· You learn best by yourself and don’t require perspectives from an experienced technology leader.

· You expect that by completing this course, you will have the expertise of a seasoned AI engineer.

If you are still curious and value learning together, I invite you to join me in an upcoming cohort.

Enrollment is limited to 20 committed students.

🌟 Bonus: 1:1 AI coaching session

🌟 Bonus: Easy access to course material updates

🌟 Bonus: Post-course community for people who value ongoing learning in data, AI, and leadership