Design Thinking with AI
Solve complex business problems through human-AI collaboration.
This innovative two-day course merges Design Thinking and AI to tackle complex, systemic problems and foster groundbreaking innovation. Learn to apply AI technologies, such as big data, natural language processing (NLP), large language models (LLMs), and generative design to boost creativity and craft human-centered solutions. Explore creative applications of AI for faster ideation and bias minimization while mastering powerful metacognitive tools that help when thinking gets stuck.
Through hands-on sessions that fuse AI tools with Design Thinking methods, you will address real-world business challenges while building creative confidence, developing a comprehensive understanding of integrating AI into your strategies, equipped to drive innovation, solve complex challenges, and develop solutions that are both technologically advanced and human-centric.
The program culminates with an exploratory discussion on how to apply Design Thinking and AI to your specific context, emphasizing futures thinking, collaboration, ethics, and creativity. You will leave the program with a tailored action plan to ensure Design Thinking’s relevance and practical application to your organization’s challenges.
By the end of this program, you will be equipped to generate impactful solutions for today and navigate the evolving challenges of tomorrow.
“Teaching 'Design Thinking with AI' empowers professionals to tackle real-world problems by combining the complementary strengths of AI and human insight. It focuses on creating data informed, human-driven processes and solutions that drive innovation. I'm passionate about guiding business leaders to navigate and shape the intelligent future with confidence and creativity.”
— Ming Ming Chapman, Distinguished Service Professor of Design, Tepper School of Business
“We're at a pivotal moment where AI can enhance, not replace, our cognitive abilities, acting as a superpower for creativity and problem-solving. 'Design Thinking with AI' explores this dynamic fusion, showing how human-machine collaboration can tackle our most pressing challenges.”
— Jonathan Chapman, Professor & Director of Doctoral Studies, Carnegie Mellon School of Design
Key Takeaways
- Learn strategies for integrating AI into the Design Thinking process
- Understand how AI can aid human creativity and brainstorming
- Develop innovative data-driven solutions
- Foster a culture of collaboration through co-creation and application
Who Should Attend
- Whether you are an executive in a global business or an early-stage start-up founder, this program will elevate your skills and boost your creativity, equipping you with the tools to advance your career and entrepreneurial efforts through human-AI collaboration. Designed for professionals from all backgrounds and levels of experience, this program requires no prior experience with AI.
- Individuals interested in pursuing their Certificate in Executive Leadership + AI.
Curriculum
Day 1: Building the Foundations for AI-Driven Design Thinking
- Introduction to Design Thinking and AI: Overview of principles, capabilities, ethical considerations, and case studies.
- Discover: Exploring root causes of systemic problems using AI-driven data analytics and uncovering insights from large data sets.
- Define: Framing problem statements with AI that identify novel opportunities for innovation.
- Ideate: Generating bold, innovative solutions through brainstorming and AI tools.
Day 2: Bringing AI-Driven Design Thinking to Life
- Prototype: Rapid creation and iteration of prototypes with AI support, providing real-time feedback and speeding up development.
- Test: Gathering user feedback and refining solutions using AI for predictive analytics to foresee potential scenarios and make evidence-based adjustments.
- Application and Future Integration: Applying Design Thinking and AI strategies to your professional context, addressing ethical considerations, and focusing on real-world challenges.
Participant Insights
“Design Thinking pushes us to be iterative and helps me keep hope alive. This program is seriously shifting how I think about AI—not just as a tool for convenience, but as a creative partner that can help unlock new ways of solving problems.
I’m pumped to be expanding my learning in AI-driven innovation and working toward my Executive Leadership + AI certificate this year! One of the coolest moments so far? Getting hands-on with OpenAI, Figma AI and Fliki AI—not just for rapid prototyping but even crafting a full-on commercial. Seeing these tools in action has me thinking about how AI can push the boundaries of design, accessibility, storytelling, and conflict-solving in more equitable, human-centered ways.
AI isn’t here to replace creativity—it’s here to expand it. And when we pair it with Design Thinking, we make sure innovation is driven by real people, real needs, and real impact. Big data, natural language processing (NLP) and large language models (LLMs) can be leveraged for rapid response to systemic problems and real-time inequities. I can’t wait to bring these insights into my work in the arts, history, and museum spaces."
—Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, Vice President, IDEA
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