What happens when you combine computer science, design thinking, and a passion for social impact? For Professor Yu Chen of San Jose State University, the result is a bold new model of business education rooted in accessibility, creativity, and community.
In this conversation, Chen outlines how her background in human-computer interaction led her to rethink how emerging technologies like artificial intelligence can be taught in a business context. She shows students from all backgrounds how AI-powered apps can be built with low-code or no-code platforms.
The goal isn’t just technical literacy—it’s cultivating empathy. Through her course “AI for Social Good,” students tackle real social issues in their communities, from food waste and vaccine awareness to education equity and homelessness. They’re encouraged to start not with a solution, but with a deep understanding of the problem. That’s where design thinking comes in.
Chen breaks down design thinking into five iterative steps: identifying a problem, empathizing with users, synthesizing insights, prototyping, and evaluating. The key, she says, is spending time in the problem space. It’s here where students’ personal stories, cultural backgrounds, and lived experiences shape projects that are both innovative and deeply relevant.
Perhaps the most powerful message of all is this: you don’t have to be a coder to make a difference in tech. Business students, art students, even geography majors—they all have a role to play in building the future. What matters is curiosity, compassion, and the willingness to experiment.
Chen’s approach is a model not just for business schools, but for education and business at large. She lays out a model that can help us improve ourselves through the use of AI by focusing on critical, creative, and collaborative thought. By trusting students, designing for relevance, and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, she’s helping the next generation see AI not as a distant, intimidating field—but as a tool for social good that they can shape with their own hands.