AI – Opportunity or Threat to Innovation?

This semester, one of the classes for first-year part-time Master’s students concluded with a lively Oxford-style debate.
As part of the intensive course “Techniques for Creating New Products and Business Models for Tech Companies”, students discussed a topic straight from today’s headlines:

“Artificial Intelligence in the development of new products and services: Does it bring more benefits or risks?”

🆚 Two Sides, Many Perspectives

Pro Side (AI as an opportunity)
🔹 Accelerated R&D and shorter time-to-market
🔹 Hyper-personalized offers and improved customer experience
🔹 Operational cost optimization

Contra Side (AI as a risk)
🔸 Risk of errors and data bias
🔸 Potential job displacement
🔸 Legal accountability and ethical concerns around algorithms

🧠 The Key Takeaway? Keep Humans at the Center

Despite differing views, both teams reached a shared conclusion:

The key to responsible AI development is not the technology itself, but the human – the engineer, the researcher, the educator, and the user.

Without responsible creators and proven educational methods, future generations of professionals may fail to fully harness AI’s potential — and its risks may outweigh its benefits.

📢 Core Recommendations that Emerged:

• Human-Centric AI Development – systems should be designed with real user needs and values in mind.
• Transparency & Ethics – open access to data sources, clear model governance procedures.
• Enhanced Education – interdisciplinary programs combining IT with psychology, law, and sociology.
• Lifelong Learning – both developers and users must keep updating their knowledge alongside AI’s evolution.

💬 Why Organize Such Debates with Students?

• Critical Thinking Skills – future innovation leaders must assess both the promises and threats of new technologies.
• Theory Meets Reality – students confront textbook concepts with real-world dilemmas.
• Culture of Dialogue – a vital skill in an era of polarization.

The debate showed that technology itself is neither good nor bad – its impact depends on human intentions and capabilities.
The challenge of the 21st century is to create an ecosystem where AI development is:

• transparent,
• ethical,
• and human-centered.

Thank you to all the students for your passion and dedication. We’re confident that with you leading the way, the future of AI will be not only innovative — but truly human.