AI for Executives: The Basics gives managers a practical, non-technical introduction to artificial intelligence and machine learning for business decision-making. You’ll learn how AI fits into executive strategy, what ML models can and can’t do, and how to lead data-driven initiatives that create measurable value. Starting with the fundamentals, the course explains algorithms vs. models, core ML tasks, and the lifecycle for building and governing solutions. You’ll then design a data strategy—covering data quality, privacy, and responsible use—before applying techniques such as regression, decision trees, and modern large language models (LLMs) to real executive-level use cases. Finally, you’ll put it together by planning AI pipelines, evaluating model performance and non-functional properties, and knowing when to customize or reuse off-the-shelf models. Hands-on assignments use familiar tools and require no coding. By the end, you’ll be able to map business problems to the right AI approach, communicate with technical teams, and build an informed roadmap for adopting AI across your organization.

AI for Executives: The Basics
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AI for Executives: The Basics
This course is part of AI for Executives Specialization

Instructor: Prof. Ernesto Damiani
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What you'll learn
Map executive decisions to the right AI/ML methods; distinguish algorithms vs. models.
Build a governance-ready data strategy—data quality, anonymity, and privacy—for AI projects.
Plan AI pipelines and evaluate/select models—including when to reuse LLMs and off-the-shelf options.
Skills you'll gain
- Applied Machine Learning
- Statistical Machine Learning
- Data Strategy
- Data Management
- AI Enablement
- Data Integration
- Data Quality
- MLOps (Machine Learning Operations)
- Data Literacy
- Predictive Modeling
- Decision Intelligence
- Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML)
- Data-Driven Decision-Making
- AI Product Strategy
- Model Training
- Model Evaluation
- Transfer Learning
- Predictive Analytics
- Data Governance
Tools you'll learn
Details to know

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6 assignments
Build your subject-matter expertise
- Learn new concepts from industry experts
- Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
- Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
- Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 5 modules in this course
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