How Wharton Prepares Students to Lead in the Age of AI

As artificial intelligence continues to shape industries, careers, and daily life, students at the Wharton School have a unique opportunity to explore AI from a behavioral science perspective in the course AI in Our Lives: The Behavioral Science of Autonomous Technology. Taught by Stefano Puntoni, Sebastian S. Kresge Professor of Marketing and Faculty Co-Director of Wharton Human-AI Research, this class examines the ways AI impacts individuals, organizations, and society, offering students a chance to critically assess both the benefits and risks of this rapidly evolving technology.

“It’s like forcing yourself to take the stairs instead of taking the elevator.”

— Hamsa Bastani, associate professor of Operations, Information and Decisions via The Wall Street Journal

In a personal reflection for The Wall Street Journal, Wharton professor Hamsa Bastani explores how overreliance on generative AI may dull our cognitive edge—and why she now intentionally chooses friction over ease to stay sharp and engaged.

Read more via WSJ → (subscription may be required)

One might view learning through LLMs rather than web search as analogous to being shown the solution to a math problem rather than trying to solve it oneself.

— Shiri Melumad, associate professor of Marketing, “Experimental Evidence of the Effects of Large Language Models versus Web Search on Depth of Learning”

In a series of experiments with over 4,500 participants, Professor Melumad finds that using large language models like ChatGPT can lead to shallower learning, reduced originality, and lower-quality advice compared to traditional web search. The research suggests that AI tools may make knowledge acquisition more passive—potentially diminishing how deeply we engage with and retain information.

Read the full working paper →

“GenAI offers firms unprecedented opportunities to understand and engage with customers, better assess the competitive environment, and extend data-driven decision-making.”

— Stefano Puntoni, Faculty Co-Director of Wharton Human-AI Research, via Harvard Business Review

In this new HBR feature, Professor Puntoni and his co-authors present a clear framework for how generative AI is revolutionizing market research—leveraging synthetic data, digital twins, and always-on insight engines to unlock deeper customer understanding.

Read the full piece → (subscription may be required)