The event brought together over 160 students from the EGADE MBA program, which is offered in Monterrey, Santa Fe, Guadalajara, Querétaro, and online.

By JOSÉ ÁNGEL DE LA PAZ | EGADE BUSINESS SCHOOL

Over 160 students from the EGADE MBA program gathered on October 25 and 26 in Monterrey for the National EGADE MBA Conference 2024 under the slogan "The new cognitive revolution: The impact of artificial intelligence on society and business."

Students from the Monterrey, Santa Fe, Guadalajara, and Querétaro sites and the online modality congregated at this two-day event that included conferences, panels, visits to the region's companies, teamwork, and networking. 

The welcome address by Horacio Arredondo, dean of EGADE Business School, highlighted the importance of forging strong professional networks and fostering transformative learning among colleagues. It also underlined the event's practical approach, with visits to companies to learn about their artificial intelligence (AI) applications.

Eric Porras, national director of MBA Programs, stressed the importance of this meeting as a platform for students to explore the "new cognitive revolution" that is transforming society and business.

The first conference, "Social Impact of Artificial Intelligence," was delivered by Ana Freire, vice dean of Social Impact and Academic Innovation at UPF Barcelona School of Management.

Freire analyzed the differentiation between limited and general artificial intelligence, emphasizing the need to apply critical thinking in its use and illustrating examples of how AI can generate errors in diagnostics or content.

She also addressed the impact of AI on employment, health, and education, highlighting how this technology can personalize diagnostics and improve health treatments.

Freire presented the STOP project, which, in collaboration with platforms such as Meta, uses AI to identify risk patterns in social networks linked to mental health problems. This project has allowed the early detection of at-risk users and their connection with professional help services, showing the potential of AI as a tool that has a positive social impact when used ethically and responsibly.

Afterward, the panel "Relevance and Future of AI in Business" brought together renowned experts, such as Raúl Montalvo, director of EGADE Business School in Guadalajara as the moderator, and panelists Alejandro Correa, former vice-president of Artificial Intelligence at Rappi; Enrique Cortés, director of the Artificial Intelligence Hub at Tecnológico de Monterrey; and José Tam, vice-president of Digital Transformation at Softtek.

The panelists agreed that AI allows companies to adapt and be more efficient, highlighting hyper-personalization and data analysis as key to customer experience.

Enrique Cortés stressed that AI is increasingly being integrated into financial planning, allowing for improved risk and opportunity prediction.

Alejandro Correa explained that analyzing large volumes of data allows for the detection of hidden patterns, improving forecasting in product development.

José Tam then underlined the importance of building open corporate cultures to innovation and integrating AI as an ally in achieving objectives with social and economic impact.

The interactive conference "AI in action: Business Cases and Roadmap for Successful Adoption" was offered by Luis Hernández, Modern Work Specialist, and Marcelino Aranda, AI Technology Specialist at Microsoft.

Together, they presented AI implementation cases in Mexico, such as TECgpt at Tecnológico de Monterrey, a tool that allows students and teachers to personalize learning, and CEMEX Technical Xperts, which assists frontline employees in making operational decisions.

The Microsoft experts shared statistics on the use of AI in the workplace, indicating that although 75% of employees already use AI in their work, challenges persist, such as the balance between routine and creative tasks.

They also presented Microsoft 365 Copilot, a tool to optimize processes and free up time for more strategic activities. They highlighted that AI respects the organization's data while preserving data privacy and security.

In addition, Anna Lahtinen, Senior Researcher at Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences in Finland, spoke about how AI is transforming job skills and salaries in her conference "AI & You: Shaping Careers, Paychecks, and the Future of Work."

Lahtinen reflected on AI's impact on work and the need to develop skills such as critical analysis and communication, which will be essential in an increasingly automated work environment. She raised questions on AI's role in job supervision and its impact on employees' time and tasks.

Finally, the students enjoyed visits to companies, including Alestra, Vivaerobus, Metalsa, Ternium, Qimmco, CEMEX, Frisa, and Xignux Prolec.

This activity, led by Alfonso Ávila, professor from the Department of Entrepreneurship and Technological Innovation at EGADE Business School, allowed them to see first-hand how companies integrate emerging technologies and AI into their operations.

Each team presented its findings, thus strengthening practical learning and highlighting AI's potential to transform the industry and improve business competitiveness.

In conclusion, the EGADE MBA National Conference 2024 made it clear that AI is a powerful tool for operational optimization and strategic growth, redefining the concept of business and its social impact.