The AI Co-Founder: Fostering Entrepreneurial and Design-Thinking Mindsets in Engineering and Management Education
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.16920/jeet/2026/v39is3/26095Keywords:
Artificial Intelligence, Entrepreneurship Education, Design Thinking, Higher Education, Pedagogy, Generative AI, Skill Development, Innovation, Engineering Education, Management EducationAbstract
This paper addresses the failure of traditional engineering and management education to impart the real-world entrepreneurship and design thinking skills required by the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Its core contribution is the introduction of the AI-Augmented Venture Ideation (AAVI) model, a novel pedagogical framework that integrates specific AI tools across the entire venture creation lifecycle-from problem discovery to market validation. The paper details how this model transforms AI from a simple tool into a sophisticated teaching partner, shifting the focus of skill development from rote execution to higher-level strategic direction and critical evaluation. While also discussing the inherent risks of algorithmic bias and skill atrophy, the work concludes that a structured approach like the AAVI model is essential for fundamentally reshaping entrepreneurship education for a future built on human-AI collaboration.
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