Andrew Crisp, author of the new See the Future report, considers what the findings on AI and sustainability mean for business schools.

At the 2020 EFMD Deans conference, I presented the findings from the second See the Future, including a short video of my daughter and her friend, both then teenagers, who asked the question: “Are you ready?”  The challenge then was technology, specifically online learning.  Or at least we thought it was.  A few weeks later, the world was gripped by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some schools grabbed that technological change and prospered; some are still trying to work it out.  Today, the challenge is still technology, albeit AI rather than online learning, and the challenge remains sustainability; both the focus of the third See the Future study, published now by EFMD, CarringtonCrisp, 4uni-solutions and Full Fabric.

Almost 2,000 people were surveyed from 40 countries across the world – current students, alumni, employers, faculty focused on teaching and research, faculty involved with school management and those working in professional services roles.  Across all of them, AI is embraced, whether that’s for teaching, research or careers, while sustainability is considered key to the future of the planet.

While the vast majority embrace AI, only 6% consider themselves experts.  Indeed, 44% of those teaching in business schools think their students know more about AI than they do.  Part of the lack of expertise in AI is down to the absence of formal training; 70% admit that they simply downloaded an AI tool and started playing with it to make use of AI, while only 3% had found a course at a university or business school to help them.

For students, the drive to experiment with AI is in large part a fear of missing out and not being able to access graduate careers.  Almost 7 in 10 (69%) current students agree that it is essential to learn about AI to support their future career, seemingly recognising employer expectations of new graduates, with 77% anticipating that graduates will have some experience of using AI tools when they join an organisation.

Source: See the Future

Given such expectations, it is perhaps not a surprise that 58% of employers suggest that universities are not doing enough to develop AI skills in their graduates.  Perhaps, it’s not just graduates who aren’t developing their AI skills.

Although 62% of faculty say that AI has improved their teaching and 66% that it has improved their research, staff are clear that they want more training in AI usage, access to AI tools and time to experiment with AI.  Undoubtedly, part of the problem is that just under a third (32%) of faculty say their university has no clear policy about AI usage.

Even where a university AI policy is in place it is rarely applied across all activities – teaching, research and administration.  Without clear AI policies, it is not surprising that 43%  of faculty worry that AI is dumbing down university studies and 51% have ethical concerns about the use of AI in teaching and learning.

While AI is everywhere, it feels as though for higher education it is the end of the beginning.  Many have done something, but are uncertain about how AI is embedded into curricula.  Today, half of the faculty in leadership and management roles and professional services staff indicate that their university is already working with Microsoft to develop uses for their Copilot tool, going beyond the initial hype of AI and finding solutions that deliver real progress for staff and students.

Progress on sustainability issues is also mixed.  Although 71% of employers are a little or very positive about success to date in tackling sustainability issues, only 58% of alumni, 41% of current students and faculty in management roles/professional services staff, and 35% of faculty focused on teaching or research share the same view.  However, that doesn’t mean that sustainability doesn’t matter.

Fewer than 5% of all stakeholders surveyed consider it unimportant to include sustainability in a business degree.  More than 70% of all those surveyed believe sustainability is a global challenge that needs addressing to secure the future of the planet.

Source: See the Future

Again, there is a clear drive from employers, as there is with AI, to put sustainability at the centre of business education.  Three-quarters (75%) of employers consider it very or extremely important to include sustainability in a business degree.

And students recognise the views of employers; just over three-quarters (77%) of current students think it will be increasingly important to have an understanding of sustainability issues in any career.

However, again, there is uncertainty in how sustainability should be delivered in business education and what sustainability means.  Students prefer credentials alongside their degree, allowing them to personalise their experience of sustainability, while faculty in management roles want sustainability embedded in and across degrees, and employers suggest external experts are the best way to bring sustainability learning into business education.

Although there is a consistent view across all those surveyed that climate change should be a focus of business education, beyond that, there are a wide range of topics that respondents want to learn about under the name of sustainability: pollution, social inequality, renewable energy, food waste and insecurity, deforestation, military conflict, use of fossil fuels and loss of biodiversity.

Whether business schools can ever be ready for the future is a difficult question to answer, especially in a world gripped by uncertainty.  However, schools can be prepared, they can be clear how AI and sustainability are part of their programmes, connect with their research, and provide skills for employers; they can be leaders in AI and sustainability.

Access the findings

The complete See the Future study sets out the data, analysis and implications in detail.

• Download the full report: See the Future 2026

For additional insights, announcements and perspectives, visit the conversation on Business Education.