About the Course
The University of Chicago’s eight-week, live online Enterprise AI for Tech Leaders course empowers technical leaders to guide enterprise AI initiatives with clarity and accountability. As investment accelerates, many organizations struggle to translate generative and agentic AI experimentation into sustained operational impact due to fragmented decision making, unclear ownership, and organizational resistance. Participants gain a structured perspective on how enterprise AI efforts should be framed, governed, and evaluated to support long term business value.
After completing the course, you will be able to:
- Evaluate the strategic and organizational implications of Generative AI for enterprise value creation and competitiveness.
- Assess major Generative AI model types and align them with enterprise use cases across key business functions.
- Identify and address the technical, organizational, and human headwinds that limit AI adoption, including overconfidence and jagged intelligence, non-determinism, vendor lock-in, and employee resistance
- Analyze workforce and talent implications of AI, including evolving competencies and leadership communication.
- Apply generative and agentic AI to decompose jobs, workflows, and tasks to determine where work can be assisted, augmented, or automated.
- Prioritize AI initiatives and develop a practical enterprise AI roadmap that balances ambition and feasibility.
- Apply course frameworks through a Capstone Project integrating strategy, technology, talent, measurement, and governance.
Earn credentials certifying completion from the University of Chicago, including a digital badge, and become part of the UChicago network.
Career Outlook
AI is reshaping products, platforms, and operations across industries, and the gap between organizations that capture real value and those that stall at the pilot stage is widening rapidly. Tech leaders who can scale AI at the enterprise level, translate it into measurable business impact, and navigate risk, governance, and workforce transformation will set the pace for their industries, not chase it.
15
%Percentage increase in global GDP driven by AI adoption by 2035
Source: PwC
45
Estimated size of the global agentic AI market by 2030
Source: Deloitte
93
%Percentage of employers who expect to use generative AI within the next five years
Source: Amazon
- Chief AI Officer
- Chief Data & AI Officer
- Chief Technology Officer
- Chief Digital Officer
- Digital Innovation Officer
- Enterprise AI Architect
- Product Manager
- AI Governance & Risk Lead
- Digital Product Officer
- Director of AI Strategy
- AI Program Manager
- Insights Analyst
- Technology Consultant
- AI Governance Consultant
Meet Your Instructor
David Thomas
VP, AI and Distinguished Engineer, Upside
David Thomas is a veteran technology executive, software architect, and AI strategist with extensive experience leading enterprise transformation through emerging technologies. He currently serves as Vice President of AI and Distinguished Engineer at Upside, where he leads the design and deployment of AI systems across a large-scale consumer retail platform. His work spans Generative AI, semantic search, agent-based workflows, and AI-enabled developer productivity.
Guest Speakers
James Janega
Chief Executive Officer of Clarity Group and Adjunct Professor at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business
James Janega helps business leaders move AI from curiosity to confidence. He works with organizations to identify high-value use cases, clarify risks and tradeoffs for non-technical partners, and build business cases that earn durable support. As an educator and advisor to executives, he focuses on helping leaders make AI decisions that hold up in real organizations, not just in pilot decks.
Justin Reock
Deputy CTO at DX (getdx.com)
Justin Reock is an engineer, speaker, writer, and software practice evangelist with more than 20 years of experience across diverse software roles.
He is a recognized thought leader who delivers enterprise solutions, keynote presentations, and technical leadership focused on developer experience and productivity. His work also spans publications and community education, where he advocates modern software practices and high-performing engineering teams.
Do you have questions?
The University of Chicago Approach to Online Learning
Our online learning programs are crafted with your specific needs in mind. Programs combine e-learning with live, interactive sessions to strengthen your skill set while maximizing your time. We couple academic theory and business knowledge with practical, real-world application. Through online learning sessions, you will have an opportunity to grow your professional network and interact with University of Chicago instructors and your classmates.
Student Feedback
“I have identified areas (design, operations, manufacturing, supply chain) where we can implement generative AI in our organization. The coursework helped me prepare the strategy needed to engage other leaders and digital teams in strategy discussions. I was also able to share the learnings with other leaders within my organization, and we will implement a pilot generative AI solution within our supply chain area.”
“I liked the framework for thinking about how to address opportunities along with the risk governance required to support the AI opportunity.”
"The instructors' clear explanations and hands-on guidance made complex concepts accessible. I plan to use this knowledge immediately in streamlining and elevating my work with texts. Generative AI tools have become part of my day-to-day activities, and I'm anxious to learn more."
