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USC Marshall’s AI for Business Program Collaborates with Automus Consulting

USC Marshall’s AI for Business Program Collaborates with Automus Consulting

The connection provides students with access to Oracle Cloud analytics, cutting-edge technology, and job opportunities.

by: Alexander Bernard
05.30.25
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Launched two months before the announcement of ChatGPT’s release, USC Marshall’s AI for Business (BUAI) program positions itself on the forefront of AI technology. The result, says Charlie Hannigan, assistant professor of data sciences and operations and director of the BUAI program, is a clear advantage that attracts prospective students and industry leaders.

“There is no undergraduate program like this,” Hannigan said. “Even the other programs that have started are playing catch up. AI is moving so quickly..”

As part of BUAI’s forward-thinking approach, the program is collaborating with Automus Consulting, Inc., to provide students access to AI data, insight into developing real-world AI solutions, and internship opportunities in the ever-changing tech industry. The connection offers BUAI cohorts real-world experience evolving and innovating Oracle Cloud applications.

“We’re extremely thankful that we have this partnership … they’ve recognized how good our students are,” said Hannigan. “It’s just a perfect match.

The BUAI degree, offered in partnership with the Viterbi School of Engineering, marries the technical aspects of AI development and coding with a comprehensive business education. As a result, students enter the workforce as multifaceted professionals with the ability to engineer practical solutions to highly technical problems.

“What distinguishes the USC Marshall BUAI program is its unique focus on technical depth and business acumen,” said David Binkley ’97, CEO and founder of Automus and USC Marshall graduate. “Furthermore, the program places a strong emphasis on hands-on learning and making a real-world impact. During the interviews, BUAI students demonstrated a readiness to engage actively with our platforms, clients, and technical architecture. This level of practical curiosity and entrepreneurial spirit made USC an ideal candidate for a strategic partnership.”

Similarly, Binkely believes Automus will benefit from the fresh perspectives of students in the always evolving AI field.

“Our partnership with USC Marshall’s BUAI program provides us with access to emerging talent proficient in both technical AI methodologies and business applications,” Binkley said, adding that the company hopes students will collaborate with their product teams to engineer new solutions to modern challenges.

What’s special about this type of internship and having a company that’s so excited about the program and our students is that our students get unprecedented access to data and real serious projects.

— Charlie Hannigan

Director of AI for Business

With the landscape of AI rapidly shifting, the program strives to keep students not just on the cutting edge of technology but, in the case of the Automus partnership, leading those shifts.

“That’s the real benefit of this partnership — where the landscape is changing so much is that our students get to be the agent of change,” Hannigan said. “They’re not going to be on the back end of it, experience the change after. They’re going to be the ones effecting the change and then reaping the rewards. There’s this huge first-mover advantage.”

The collaboration epitomizes Hannigan’s goal for the program: setting up students for long-term success in an industry with a high demand for specialized talents.

“I hear this over and over and over again, companies saying there’s this sweet spot that they’re missing in the fugue between technical proficiency and business acumen. And BUAI students fit it,” Hannigan said.

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