Applied AI Lab
Empowering learners to use AI in solving real-world problems.
Through collaboration between the Center for Business Analytics and Lindner’s department of operations, business analytics, and information systems (OBAIS), Lindner’s Applied AI Lab serves four key functions and stakeholders:
- Students: Curricular innovation that empowers business problem solvers by embedding relevant AI content into Lindner courses and programs.
- Business partners: Training and partnerships that build and deepen AI expertise via the Center for Business Analytics (see below).
- Incubator: AI “starter kits” for research, applications and product development.
- Lindner expertise: AI training and upskilling opportunities for Lindner faculty and staff.
The Applied AI Lab is directed by Jeffrey Shaffer, Kirk and Jacki Perry Professor of Analytics and an assistant professor-educator of OBAIS.
Offerings
Applied AI Lab Director Jeffrey Shaffer instructs Fifth Third Bank employees during a private generative AI workshop. Photo/Suzanne Buzek.
This Center for Business Analytics training course focuses on the application of generative AI in data analytics, and offers deeper exploration of prompt engineering and agentic workflows. Fundamental concepts, governance, and societal, ethical and regulatory implications of generative AI are covered, too.
This course is open to the public, and no prior experience with AI or coding is required.
- Visit the Center for Business for Analytics for course dates.
The AI in Business graduate certificate educates students on how to leverage AI platforms for solving business problems. AI in Business can be taken in-person or online, and supplies students with experiential learning opportunities with modern AI tools and access to expert faculty researching AI’s latest business applications.
AI in Business can be completed in nine to 12 months (two to three semesters). No prior experience with AI tools is required, but a basic background in Python programming and information systems is helpful.
All public Center for Business Analytics training courses, including Generative AI in Business, can be offered privately. The courses can be tailored to meet the specific needs of the company or organization interested. Inquiries can be directed to Center for Business Analytics Associate Director Marilyn Kump.
Fifth Third Bank completed a series of private generative AI workshops led by Shaffer.
Jeff Shaffer’s generative AI course was transformative, providing invaluable insights and practical applications that have significantly enhanced organizations’ understanding of foundational concepts for generative AI applications.
Jonathan Paul, VP, Director IT, AI & Data Governance, Fifth Third Bank
This free training course has been offered to Lindner faculty and staff.
“AI’s Got Talent: GenAI for Faculty and Staff” covers the basics of generative AI, best practices (and what to avoid), and how to leverage AI for teaching and research purposes.
Speaking Engagements
Bring the power of AI insight to your next event. Shaffer delivers dynamic keynote presentations and engaging talks that connect the latest advances in artificial intelligence to real-world business impact.
From unlocking the potential of generative AI to building AI-driven organizations, each session is designed to inspire action and spark conversation. Whether you’re hosting a conference, corporate summit or executive retreat, Shaffer and the Applied AI Lab can tailor a message that resonates with your audience and elevates your event.
| Date | Talk Title/Subject | Conference/Event | Organization | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2025 | How Lindner is equipping students to succeed with AI | BEARCATS/Innovate: Cincinnati | UC Alumni Association/Lindner College of Business | |
| October 2025 | "The Future of AI: From the Wild West to the Gold Rush" | Data Science Symposium | UC Center for Business Analytics | |
| October 2025 | "The Future of AI: The Wild West of Modern Technology" | American Modern Perspectives Innovation Conference | American Modern Insurance | |
| September 2025 | "AI's Got Talent: An Introduction to AI Tools" | Great Lakes Relocation Conference | Greater Cincinnati Relocation Council |
Thought Leadership
Shaffer routinely lends his AI expertise to external media outlets seeking informed perspective. Below is a sampling of Shaffer's external media appearances.
| Outlet | Article | Topic(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Sun | Power-hungry AI could mean higher electric bills | AI's energy impact |
| Cincinnati Edition | This provision could ban AI regulation for 10 years | AI regulation |
| WLWT-TV | How to use AI to manage the holiday season | AI prompt structure |
| WVXU | How to spot deepfake images | AI deepfakes |
"Generative AI for Business: Frameworks, Techniques, and Governance"
- Author: Liwei Chen
- Summary: Coauthored by Lindner Associate Professor of Operations, Business Analytics, and Information Systems Liwei Chen, "Generative AI for Business: Frameworks, Techniques, and Governance" supplies AI users of all types — business leaders impact AI strategy, students trying to prepare themselves for a modern workforce or consultant constructing AI solutions — with the foundation to lead in the generative AI realm.
Research in Action: Career Services, Empowered by AI
Experiential Learning & Teaching Excellence Assistant Director Susan Bailey presented “AI to the Rescue: Saving Time in Career Services to Focus on What Matters” at the Cooperative Education and Internship annual conference.
After participating in Lindner’s annual Communities of Practice (CoP), Bailey began toying with ways to use AI to teach students and to streamline her own work processes. In her presentation, she explores ways to use AI tools to analyze student data to tailor career service strategies; to improve processes like resume review, interview preparations and salary negotiation; and to integrate into the classroom curriculum.
“My approach with AI has always been practical and twofold: how can it help our students, and how can it help us, so we have more time to focus on the important things like our students?” said Bailey.
Your AI Course Schedule
Lindner is at the forefront of providing valuable classroom experiences at the intersection of multiple business disciplines and AI. From information systems and finance to marketing and economics, Lindner’s offerings equip students with the knowledge they need to succeed in the modern workplace and to transform their future or current organizations.
Craig Froehle, professor of operations, business analytics, and information systems, leads IS 8070 students in an exercise designed to teach them how to best collaborate with AI.
Building egg-cellent skills in AI
IS 8070: Generative AI and the Future of Work introduces Master of Business Analytics and Information Systems students to generative AI with a focus on its implications for business, the way work gets done and managerial issues. Students learn to use generative AI as a coding partner and as a creative collaborator. To practice collaborating with AI, students complete the “egg-drop project.”
Students are assigned one of two tasks: either work with a generative AI agent or chatbot to collaboratively develop a set of instructions for building a device that would protect a chicken’s egg from breaking when dropped from 30 feet, or develop the instructions solely on their own. The devices are then tested by dropping them in the Lindner Hall atrium.
The experiment reveals that students perceive instructions from student- AI collaborations to be less thorough and more enjoyable than instructions generated by students working alone — but similarly innovative and clear. Performance-wise, devices generated by students working alone are a little more successful at protecting the eggs from breaking than devices that are collaboratively developed. The assignment showcases the importance of writing quality prompts and how to extract the best possible outcomes
Contact Us
Jeffrey Shaffer
Applied AI Lab Director, Kirk and Jacki Perry Professor of Analytics, and Assistant Professor-Educator of Operations, Business Analytics, and Information Systems