Business Owners & Professionals & Students—It’s Time to “FEEL AI” Now
By Greg Woodman, Instructor of Engineering 310 – Entrepreneurial Leadership
“The advent of AGI could herald a new renaissance in human knowledge and capability. From accelerating drug discovery to running whole companies, from personalizing education to creating new materials for space exploration, AGI could help solve some of humanity’s most pressing challenges.”
— Eric Schmidt, Former CEO of Google
In a Wall Street Journal article on AI and academic integrity, Siya Raj Purohit, a member of OpenAI’s education team, dismissed the idea that AI is responsible for academic dishonesty, stating, “OpenAI did not invent cheating. People who want to cheat will find a way.” She went further, offering a provocative challenge to traditional education, suggesting that critical thinking and communication skills should now be measured by how well students use AI rather than by outdated assessments. “What is the value of an essay?” she asked, referencing a discussion with a Wharton School of Business professor. This raises a fundamental question: Are we measuring learning in ways that truly prepare students for the future—or are we clinging to outdated methods that no longer reflect the modern world?
— Wall Street Journal
AI isn’t replacing creativity, it’s enhancing it.
It’s fueling innovation, strategy, and execution at an unprecedented pace. And yet, while AI is rapidly transforming every industry, many professionals and business owners remain hesitant.
The real question isn’t “Is AI ready for business?” The question is:
Are YOU ready?
Because if you aren’t learning AI, using AI, and integrating AI into your work, someone else is. And they’ll be ahead of you soon.
Who’s Really Cheating? The System or You?
A recent Wall Street Journal article declared, “There’s a Good Chance Your Kid Uses AI to Cheat.”
But let’s flip that narrative.
Are students really cheating? Or are we—businesses, professionals, and educators—cheating ourselves and our students by failing to embrace AI?
The workforce is evolving at an unprecedented pace, and AI skills are now non-negotiable for career success:
🔹 71% of business leaders say they’d rather hire a less experienced candidate with AI skills than someone with more experience but no AI knowledge. (Microsoft, 2024)
🔹 37% of employers would prefer hiring AI or robotic systems over recent college graduates. (Hult International Business School, 2024)
🔹 71% of leaders now favor hiring candidates with AI skills, even if they have less experience. (LinkedIn 2024 Work Trend Index)
AI isn’t an optional skill—it’s a prerequisite for success.
If universities do not fully embrace fully AI while the workforce increasingly demands AI ability, aren’t we ultimately cheating our students?
This is why I emphasize AI in Engineering 310: Entrepreneurial Leadership. My students often tell me I’m one of the only instructors, perhaps the only one—who pushes them to fully embrace and use AI in all our assignments and case studies and new business launches, rather than fear it.
Artificial intelligence is not just transforming industries, it is reshaping what it means to think, create, and lead. As AI systems move from merely assisting human intelligence to generating new discoveries and solutions, the institutions that embrace AI now will define the future.
Penn State is uniquely positioned to lead in this transformation. With its AI-focused degree programs, research, and thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem, the university has a rare opportunity to become a global leader in AI education, innovation, and business development.
Why Penn State Must Act Now
🔹 AI is creating breakthroughs: From DeepMind’s AlphaFold revolutionizing medicine to AI solving Olympiad-level math problems, AI is already outperforming human experts in key fields.
🔹 AI is redefining careers: The future job market will favor AI-augmented professionals—those who leverage AI, not fear it.
🔹 The biggest threat is inaction: Universities that fail to fully integrate AI into education, research, and entrepreneurship will fall behind.
AI in Action: How Penn State Students Are Solving Real-World Problems
AI-powered entrepreneurship isn’t just happening in Silicon Valley—it’s happening in Penn State’s classrooms right now.
Engineering 310 in the School of Engineering Design and Innovation and part of the Engineering Entrepreneurship Minor is designed for any student who wants to: master AI & innovation before graduating, think like an entrepreneur & solve real problems, gain high-value skills that employers want NOW, develop a startup mindset—even if they don’t start a company.
Ryan Battista: AI & Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace
Ryan and his team tackled one of today’s biggest workplace challenges—emotional intelligence in college and professional environments. They developed an AI-powered platform to help individuals navigate career and leadership development.
“This course changed the way we think—it showed us that IT IS POSSIBLE. The biggest problems in the world are solvable by us. All you need in today’s age is three people and AI to create a unicorn company.”
Het Sheth: AI as the Great Accelerator
He is working on a startup called The Equal Edge. He said “Embracing AI is like stepping into a car and leaving behind the limitations of a horse-drawn carriage. By learning to use AI, we free ourselves to focus on what truly matters, bringing ideas to life – something AI can’t do yet.”
Kanika Gupta: AI in Agriculture
Kanika created and is pitching her company CropNsoil, an AI based multi cropping pattern generator that aims to improve soil quality and help in soil health regeneration by guiding small scale farmers and cooperatives in what to grow, in a way that they can increase their profits and diversify their portfolios.
These students aren’t just learning about AI—they are building businesses with it.
I have had a front seat up close with Penn State Students and this is market feedback, heightened customer discovery—yes, students are customers.
A Call to Action from Penn State students: How Penn State Can Lead, how fast can the University move?
1. Expand AI-Powered Entrepreneurship Education
- Scale Engineering 310 Entrepreneurial Leadership into a university-wide AI entrepreneurship initiative. Every first-year student should take the class.
- Create and support AI-driven startup incubators via Invent Penn State and more.
- Partner with AI leaders like OpenAI, DeepMind, and Google to bring innovative AI tools to students.
2. AI-First Research & Teaching
- Mandate AI literacy for all faculty and students—no student should graduate without AI competency.
- Fund AI-powered research projects that push the boundaries of knowledge.
- Use AI + Entrepreneurial Leadership story line to enhance Penn State’s recruiting, student success, and operational efficiency.
3. Lets double down on Making Happy Valley an AI Innovation Hub
- Attract AI-driven companies and investment in State College.
- Launch an AI-powered business accelerator to turn Penn State research into world-changing startups.
- Position Penn State as a leader in AI policy, ethics, and responsible innovation.
The Moment is Now: Penn State Must FEEL AI
The AI revolution will create new winners and leave others behind. Those who FEEL AI—fully embrace, experiment, and leverage AI—will lead. Those who resist or delay will find themselves obsolete. What business is Penn State really in?
I am channeling my student Ryan who caught fire and said this “This course changed the way we think—it showed us that IT IS POSSIBLE. The biggest problems in the world are solvable by us. All you need in today’s age is three people and AI to create a unicorn company.”
Let’s keep Ryan in Happy Valley to solve problems and create jobs.
Tell us how your company is all in on AI? Or tell us why not? Tell us when you “felt AI” and your reaction? Do you think the Penn State 35 Trustees have felt AI? Share with us your AI Story.
Share your thoughts below. (You can click on the text, or comment below).
