This study was carried out to determine the challenges to and prospects of the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the business education programme in selected universities in Cross River State. Two specific objectives, two research questions and two null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. Descriptive survey research design was used. The population of study comprised 46 business educators from the selected universities. The entire population was used due to its manageable size. Data were collected using a four-point rating scale (questionnaire) designed by the researchers. The instrument contains 16 items were arranged in two clusters. Cluster 1 is on Challenges to effective integration of AI and cluster 2 is on the Prospects of effective integration of AI into business education programme. The questionnaire was validated by two research experts, and tested for reliability using Cronbach Alpha reliability formula which produced a coefficient of 0.88. Data were analysed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions, and t-test statistic was used to test the null hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings from the study indicate that there are challenges to the effective integration of AI into business education Programme in the selected universities in Cross River State. The challenges include inadequate technological infrastructure; inadequate funding; lack of sufficient retraining of the teachers; resistance to change; unreliable internet connectivity; lack of clear policy framework, among others. Responses also show that the integration of AI into business education programmes will enhance teaching quality, improve learning outcomes, foster innovation, and boost student engagement among others. Based on these findings, it was recommended that universities offering Business Education should, among other things, prioritize investment in the necessary technological infrastructure such as reliable internet access, AI-driven tools, and appropriate hardware and software to support effective integration of AI into the Business Education programme.
Keywords: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Challenges, business education programmes, integration and prospect.
