NEW Fall 2026 Course: AI Fundamentals for Business & Society

The IBD program is excited to introduce a new course offering for Fall 2026, GBUS 4409/5409: AI Fundamentals for Business and Society, taught by Zara Khan. With a growing demand for understanding of AI implementation and literacy in the global business and policy world, the IBD program seeks to fill a gap in our current course offerings by providing a hands-on course that teaches how modern AI systems work, how they can be built, and how they can be implemented and deployed responsibly. 

This course will provide an introduction to artificial intelligence and how it is shaping business and society. Students will develop a foundational understanding of core technical concepts, with emphasis on current AI capabilities, limitations, and ethical considerations. The course includes case studies and hands-on exercises for developing knowledge and skills for applying AI in practice in organizational settings. The course features active discussion and guest speakers who will share real-world insight on the latest AI industry trends and developments.

Professor Khan is a BSFS and IBD alumni of the class of 2007. She is an account director at OpenAI, where she leads enterprise partnerships to build and scale AI products across global markets. Previously, she held partnerships and business development roles at Google’s X, the moonshot factory, and Planet Labs. She began her career in finance and later worked in nonprofit and impact investing roles focused on sub-Saharan Africa. Along with her Georgetown degree, Khan holds an MBA from Berkeley Haas.