AI as a driver of the economy: strategic session at the HSE Graduate School of Business
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For competitive development and growth of the Russian economy today, it is necessary to implement AI technologies into production processes at a high rate — this was discussed by experts from various departments of the HSE University and business representatives at the strategic session on AI development. The event was organised by the Centre for AI at the HSE University, the Centre for Technology Transfer at the HSE University, the Institute for Statistical Research and Knowledge Economy at the HSE University and the HSE Graduate School of Business.
Research and development of AI technologies has been named one of the government policy priorities, and the HSE University has become one of the leaders in this field, creating a platform for interaction between researchers, business and government to exchange ideas and resources and achieve common goals. The session was attended by experts from various business sectors, including representatives of companies that are already using AI tools in their daily activities.
“The participation of a large number of business representatives in the HSE University strategic session emphasises the importance of developing AI technologies and applied solutions based on them. The choice of the HSE Graduate School of Business as a platform for a comprehensive discussion of these issues at the strategic session was not accidental. Many Russian enterprises have accumulated large amounts of data (including internal data from corporate information systems, sensor data, audio and video data, open data from social networks, partner data, etc.), but have not yet learnt how to extract value from this source to gain a competitive advantage,” said Evgeny Zaramenskikh, Head of the Department of Business Informatics at the GSB.
The experts worked in groups formed by the business sectors, answering the most pressing question of the strategic session: how AI development would change each specific industry and what solutions would help to increase efficiency and productivity. Company representatives drew on their specific business challenges, working with experts from academia to predict what collaborative research in partnership with the university could be done to accelerate business processes. The strategy session offered more than 190 hypotheses on how the development of AI would impact industries. These ideas include the development of machine learning algorithms, data handling for AI, fundamental and generative models, multi-agent systems, security in AI and human-machine interaction issues.
Alexey Masyutin, Chief Operating Officer of the Institute of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Sciences at the HSE University, noted that companies are cautious about fundamental research because of the significant investment and unpredictable results. It is for this reason that close partnership work between business and leading Russian universities is important today. He also emphasised that the university is a platform where companies can meet not only with researchers, but also with each other to share their real experience and relevant knowledge gained from practice.
In particular, at the end of 2023, the HSE Graduate School of Business presented a large-scale project: “Main Russian IT Trends-2024”. According to experts, the most popular technological trend in 2023 was the development of solutions based on artificial intelligence. And in July 2024, the GSB experts together with the Russian Public Relations Association (RASO) presented the results of the study “Artificial Intelligence in Marketing and Communications”: over 400 marketing and PR directors and mass communication specialists from 46 regions of Russia took part in the survey.
The labour market is experiencing a significant lack of professionals that is the result of both a significant reduction in the working-age population over the last twenty years and the rapid development of technology and innovations that require new competencies from specialists. However, AI can help here too: according to analysts, the use of AI tools increases the rate of average annual labour productivity growth by 4.8 times compared to companies where AI technologies are not yet used. By 2030, it is planned to increase the number of university graduates in AI-related specialities by 5 times and to increase to 85% the share of employees with AI application skills.
The GSB is actively introducing the study and application of artificial intelligence into educational programmes at all levels: AI technologies are taught not only at bachelor's and master's programmes in business informatics, but also in marketing, logistics and management programmes. Special attention should be paid to professional development and further education programmes for those who seek to update their knowledge and invest in their own development. In particular, in the near future, the HSE Graduate School of Business will launch several programmes that include a deep dive into AI: “Artificial Intelligence Revolution in Supply Chain Management” — for experts in logistics, and the programme “Business Transformation: Leadership in the Age of Uncertainty”, designed for top-managers.
