Since January 2026, the National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School has been piloting an AI-enabled approach to case-based learning that requires students to investigate business problems rather than simply analyse information provided to them. Participants must identify what they need to know, decide whom to question, evaluate the responses and formulate recommendations under uncertainty.
The simulation uses ScholAIstic, a generative AI platform developed by the NUS AI Centre for Educational Technologies (AICET) to support roleplaying and simulation-based learning.
Dr. Emir Hrnjic, Senior Lecturer in Finance at NUS Business School, has been working with AICET to adapt and refine the platform's capabilities for management education. His work includes developing AI-generated executive personas tailored to business case scenarios.
The tool has so far been used by close to 100 MBA and Executive MBA students across Singapore and Jakarta, many of whom are senior executives.
In the pilot, students interview AI-simulated executives, including a Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Product and Technology Officer. Each executive presents a different perspective on the same business situation, requiring students to navigate competing viewpoints, assess the information they gather and reach their own conclusions.
After each interview, participants receive personalised feedback on their questioning techniques. This allows them to reflect on their performance and adapt their approach in subsequent interviews.
Dr. Hrnjic said the exercise requires students to identify the information they need, ask relevant questions, challenge the answers they receive and exercise judgement without having access to the complete picture.
“The aim is not to replace that human instinct with AI, but to sharpen it by helping students become more discerning about what to ask and trust. That is much closer to how leaders make decisions in the real world,” he said.
Early findings indicate that effective use of AI depends less on the number of questions asked than on their relevance and precision. Analysis of interview transcripts found that stronger interviews featured more targeted questions, effective follow-ups and adjustments as new information emerged, rather than simply following a prepared list of questions.
The findings highlight a potential role for generative AI in management education beyond information retrieval and answer generation. By recreating business scenarios, the technology can help students practise judgement and learn to navigate uncertainty and competing perspectives similar to those encountered in real organisations.
NUS Business School sees potential to extend AI-simulated learning to other areas of business education where students must question stakeholders, negotiate competing interests and make decisions under uncertainty.
The broader ambition is to move beyond the largely static information environment of traditional case studies towards a dynamic learning process in which students actively gather information, pursue emerging lines of inquiry, challenge assumptions and exercise judgement as a problem develops.
The simulation forms part of NUS Business School's wider approach to integrating AI into education. The school is exploring how the technology can enhance meaningful learning rather than replace it, helping students develop the judgement, critical thinking and adaptability required in an increasingly AI-enabled workplace.
The approach comes as companies across Asia, including Indonesia, rapidly adopt AI across their operations. As the technology assumes a greater role in business, the ability to question and assess AI-generated information is becoming an increasingly important leadership skill.
The economic implications for Indonesia are significant. A 2020 study by Kearney and EDBI projected that AI could contribute USD 366 billion to Indonesia's GDP by 2030, equivalent to 12 per cent of projected GDP.
The National University of Singapore (NUS) is Singapore's flagship university, offering a global approach to education, research and entrepreneurship with a focus on Asian perspectives and expertise. It has 15 colleges, faculties and schools across three campuses in Singapore, with more than 40,000 students from 100 countries. NUS has also established around 15 overseas entrepreneurial hubs through its NUS Overseas Colleges programme.
Its multidisciplinary and real-world approach enables collaboration with industry, governments and academia to address complex issues relevant to Asia and the world. Research across its faculties, research centres of excellence, corporate laboratories and more than 30 university-level research institutes covers areas including energy, environmental and urban sustainability, disease treatment and prevention, active ageing, advanced materials, financial systems risk management and resilience, Asian studies, and Smart Nation capabilities such as AI, data science, operations research and cybersecurity.
More information is available at nus.edu.sg.
NUS Business School has 50,000 alumni and 60 global chapters. It provides management thought leadership from an Asian perspective, enabling students and corporate partners to draw on global knowledge and Asian insights.
The school has consistently ranked first in Asia in assessments by independent publications and agencies, including The Financial Times and Quacquarelli Symonds, in recognition of its programmes, faculty research and graduates. It is accredited by AACSB International (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) and EQUIS (European Quality Improvement System).
Further information about NUS Business School is available at bschool.nus.edu.sg. Details of its MBA, MSc and Executive Education courses can be found at mscbiz.nus.edu.sg, mba.nus.edu.sg and executive-education.nus.edu.sg.
NUS Business School shares updates through LinkedIn at linkedin.com/school/nus-business-school, X at x.com/NUSBizSchool, Facebook at facebook.com/NUSBusinessSchool and Instagram at instagram.com/nusbizschool/.
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