First To The Finish: ASU's Pioneering AI In Business Program Has Its First Grad

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3 days ago

Rashi Duttagupta is the first graduate of W.P. Carey's AI in Business program. 'We learned how to understand the background of AI without using it first,' she says. 'It was really cool because not only was I building AI tools, but I was learning the ethical practices around using them.' Courtesy photo
Arizona State University's W. P. Carey School of Business made history when it became the first U.S. business school to launch a degree in AI in Business. A few weeks ago, Rashi Duttagupta walked across the stage at ASU, officially becoming the program's first graduate.
Her journey to that moment unfolded in ways she never anticipated.
'My decision to study computer information systems was inspired by my dad, who once walked the same path as an ASU CIS and finance student,' Duttagupta tells Poets&Quants. 'But I was reluctant to pursue a degree in technology because I lacked passion for it.'
When she arrived at Barrett, the Honors College at ASU, she wasn't sure what direction to take—so she decided to give CIS a try.
Rashi Duttagupta: 'My tagline, what I try to embody, is 'Creating an impact and leading a legacy'—that's my goal.' Courtesy photo
She enrolled in an introductory CIS course with Professor Matt Sopha. 'I just had a blast. It clicked for me. The way he communicates the information—he made it seem fun,' she recalls. Suddenly, everything began to fall into place.
Duttagupta initially planned to double major in CIS and Business Data Analytics, a combination that balanced technical skills with strategic thinking. But in her senior year, ASU introduced the AI in Business degree. She already had most of the required credits, so she thought: Why not?
'I just had to take a couple more classes per semester, so I thought, why not just try it?' she says. She had already noticed that AI was becoming a driving force in business. 'During my internship, the only term I kept hearing was AI. So I thought, I need to have some sort of background in it.'
Her three majors—CIS, Business Data Analytics, and AI in Business—complement each other perfectly. Some in the field even call them the 'trifecta.'
One of the biggest surprises came early on. In one of her first core AI courses, she barely touched her laptop. 'We learned how to understand the background of AI without using it first,' she says. 'It was really cool because not only was I building AI tools, but I was learning the ethical practices around using them.'
Outside the classroom, Duttagupta channeled her drive into leadership and social impact. Named the 2025 Turken Family Outstanding Graduating Senior, she served as president of the New Venture Group, ASU's undergraduate consulting organization, and executive director of the Arizona Microcredit Initiative, which helps small businesses grow.
'My tagline, what I try to embody, is 'Creating an impact and leading a legacy'—that's my goal,' she says.
Now, she's preparing for her next chapter: a move to Washington, D.C., where she'll join Deloitte as a Business Technology Solutions Analyst. 'This is the perfect synergy between my majors, so I'm really excited,' she says. She starts in the fall, but in the meantime, she's focusing on revamping her small jewelry business—an artistic outlet that allows her to explore something entirely different from tech and business.
The cross-country move is a big leap, but she feels ready. 'Moving to the East Coast is definitely going to be a big change, but I went into this year knowing a lot of change was going to happen,' she says. 'I think everything up until this moment has really shaped me to where I'm supposed to go next. I'm looking forward to it.'
As part of her capstone project for the AI in Business program, Duttagupta and her cohort developed an AI grading tool designed to streamline and improve assignment evaluation. 'It's live, and other students will get to build on it,' she explains. 'I'm leaving behind a legacy in the sense that future cohorts will refine and enhance its functionality.'
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