Against a backdrop of rapid change, DePaul faculty, students, alumni, and community members gathered on Friday, February 27 to discuss AI’s wide-ranging impact on business.  

A collaboration between DePaul’s Driehaus College of Business, AI Institute, and Jarvis College of Computing and Digital Media, the event drew 140 attendees.  

Among the lines of discussion: How can individuals, especially recent graduates, navigate an intimidating job market in the age of AI?  

Read on for a few insights directly from a range of panelists, including HR professionals, AI experts, and DePaul alumni.  

AI is still a young technology. On-the-ground experience with it matters.

Discussions around AI often center around its potential to transform how work gets done. But, panelists stressed, AI is still a young technology with quickly evolving potential.  

“I think we’re at an inflection point,” shared Sara Master, the director of digital integration (AI) for Constellation Brands. “We’re moving from that initial fear and overwhelm surrounding AI to understanding how it can drive business decisions.”  

That might look like improving productivity. Or it might look like bringing data from multiple sources together.

Matthew Hong, senior AI engineer for BCU, a local credit union, also works at the forefront of AI implementation; his team has been integrating member-facing AI agents into the credit union’s platforms.  

“Things that we launched two months ago we couldn’t have done two months before that,” he said. “This is a very fast-moving industry. So we’re looking for people with hands-on experience.”

Understand how AI works. It can be a competitive advantage.  

There’s a wealth of context around AI. Understanding that context can set you apart in a crowded and challenging job market.  

That starts with understanding how AI works.  

“The tool itself is not ‘smart,’” stressed Janaki Soni (BUS ’17, MBA ’22), partner marketing analytics manager for CDW. “Its outputs are only as good as your inputs.”  

The generative AI models most of us are familiar with don’t “understand” prompts or even their own responses. Rather, they make predictions informed by whatever data they’ve been trained on — datasets that might have certain biases baked in.  

“Models are a filtered version of reality,” offered Master. “Know that they aren’t unbiased, and keep that in your head as you’re using AI.”  

Critical thinking, panelists emphasized, is more crucial than ever. Several panelists recommended “pressure-testing” models’ output by rephrasing your questions to ensure you receive consistent answers. Others recommended prompting models to cite their sources so you can verify their output.  

Being able to have discernment is a competitive advantage,” said Soni. “From a hiring perspective, I want you to think with your own brain. I think just taking the time to pause before you act on what AI is telling you will be a huge differentiator.”

Wherever you are, consider how AI could work for you.  

Across industries, panelists emphasized that no one company or industry has AI “figured out.” Candidates, they encouraged, should be similarly open-minded.  

“Learning doesn’t stop when you walk across the stage,” said Hong. “Learning continues throughout your life.”  

For Soni, this looks like leveraging AI to accomplish goals that are unique to your expertise, your field, and where you want to go. “Take time to learn the things you want to learn,” she said.

All three panelists stressed that curiosity can take you far.  

“If you approach it with a curious mind and a willingness to use the tools,” said Master, “you can get very far.”

View the full panel discussion — and explore more insights from the Symposium — here.