Building AI proficiencies for leaders: why executive education matters

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly moving from the margins to the mainstream of business and government decision-making, with its applications now influencing healthcare, finance, urban development, and public services. This acceleration raises an urgent question: are today’s leaders equipped with the knowledge and judgment needed to navigate AI responsibly?

AI literacy has become a foundational skill for executives and public servants, but it is not about transforming leaders into programmers or data scientists. Rather, it enables them to ask sharper questions, understand the opportunities and limits of algorithms, and recognize when claims are overstated. Without such literacy, decision-making risks being guided by hype, commercial interests, or blind faith in technology.

The Artificial Intelligence Program jointly organized by the University of Birmingham and the United Arab Emirates illustrates the vital role of executive education in this transformation. Through lectures, debates, and applied sessions, participants explored how AI can be leveraged for the public good while also examining the organizational and cultural shifts required to make that possible.

At the Edgbaston week of the programme, attendees heard that “AI for Good” underscored the broader societal stakes of technological adoption - highlighting that digital transformation must be pursued not just with efficiency in mind, but with responsibility and inclusivity at its core:

AI has the potential to strengthen public services, enhance decision-making, and unlock innovation across sectors, but these benefits only materialise when leaders combine technological capabilities with human judgment, institutional capacity, and cultural readiness. Without that balance, AI risks deepening divides rather than serving the public good.

Central to the programme’s discussions is the recognition that digital transformation depends on more than tools and infrastructure. It requires strengthening organisational capacities: building interdisciplinary collaboration, embedding effective data governance, and aligning technological adoption with long-term institutional strategy.

Leaders today face a complex intersection of technology, economics, and societal change. AI can be a powerful driver of innovation, but its value depends on how well executives understand and integrate it into strategic decision-making. Our programme is designed to build that capacity - not just technical knowledge, but the critical and organisational skills that leaders need to navigate uncertainty and steer digital transformation responsibly.

Equally critical is the cultural dimension of AI adoption. Successful transformation depends on fostering openness, resilience, and critical thinking. Leaders must create environments where experimentation is encouraged but accompanied by reflection and scrutiny. Healthy scepticism—interrogating assumptions, anticipating risks, and weighing unintended consequences—is as vital as enthusiasm for innovation.

AI is transforming every sector, from healthcare to government, and leaders must be prepared to guide this transformation responsibly. At the University of Birmingham Dubai campus, our role in the UAE–Birmingham AI Programme is to connect cutting-edge research with executive education, ensuring that decision-makers are not only aware of the technology, but also able to apply it to real-world challenges in ways that improve outcomes for people and communities.

The debate on AI proficiency for leaders is still evolving, but its importance is undeniable. Executive education stands at the forefront of this challenge. By equipping leaders with literacy, organizational capacity, and cultural readiness, such programs ensure that artificial intelligence is harnessed not only for efficiency and innovation but also for the public good.

As AI continues to reshape economies and societies, one truth is clear: the future of leadership is inseparable from AI proficiency. Developing that proficiency through executive education is not optional; it is a necessity for those who seek to lead responsibly in the digital age.

Dr Martin Wählisch, Associate Professor of Transformative Technologies, Innovation and Global Affairs; Professor Nigel Mehdi, Program Director of the UAE–Birmingham AI Program; and Professor Kashif Rajpoot, Deputy Head of the School of Computer Science at the University of Birmingham Dubai.