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An experiential course is challenging the design and ethics of AI tools.
J. Jay Gerber Professor Leigh Thompson's 'Negotiating in a Virtual World' elective course at Kellogg challenges students to design AI negotiation agents. The course emphasizes strategic, ethical, and aware use of AI, especially in virtual settings which reflect how most negotiations occur in the real business world. It's designed to be highly experiential, applying firm deadlines and research-tested frameworks for virtual negotiation and AI usage.
Throughout the course, students explore critical questions about AI's role in negotiation. These include identifying the essential qualities of a successful AI negotiation coach (which extends beyond economics to include warmth, empathy, and confidence), determining when AI use should be disclosed, and examining whether AI negotiation agents adhere to the same ethical standards as human negotiators. A significant part of the course involves creating a personal AI negotiation agent.
Students like Joey Nassar ('27 Evening & Weekend MBA) found the process of creating their own AI negotiation coach to be highly insightful and powerful. By customizing prompts and parameters, they could tailor the feedback to their specific negotiation styles and learning objectives, transforming AI into a personalized learning tool rather than just a source of answers.
According to Nassar, the course's experiential curriculum reaffirmed that core human skills like empathy, framing, preparation, and strategy remain crucial for effective negotiation. However, AI serves as a powerful accelerator, enabling students to simulate scenarios, test different approaches, and receive immediate feedback, which is vital for modern business leaders integrating AI into their decision-making and preparation.
The virtual nature of the course allows for a diverse mix of students from various Kellogg programs, including Two-Year MBA, One-Year MBA, Evening & Weekend, and JD-MBA programs. This diversity introduces realistic differences in incentives, schedules, communication styles, and backgrounds, closely mimicking the complex dynamics negotiators encounter in the real world.
Himanshu Bhardwaj ('26 Evening & Weekend MBA) highlighted the benefits of negotiating virtually across various situations, which boosted his confidence in value creation and claiming in complex scenarios. The course equipped him with strategies to tactically navigate non-face-to-face negotiations, adapting communication to build trust and prevent misunderstandings, ultimately reinforcing that AI assists but does not replace the human element.
Professor Thompson emphasizes that while fundamental negotiation requirements like preparation, strategy, and emotional intelligence endure, the landscape has evolved with artificial intelligence. Negotiators, often unknowingly, now arrive at the bargaining table with AI as a 'silent partner.' Being prepared for this new element is essential for all modern negotiators.