Thought leaders across top management programs outlined 2026 as the year business schools move from AI experimentation to deliberate strategy, emphasizing judgment, ethics and human skills alongside machine capabilities. Contributors from HEC Paris, Cambridge Judge, Duke and others call for curricular rewiring and new assessment of what differentiates graduates. At the same time, 2025 rankings provide a tactical map for applicants and deans — revealing reputational and outcomes gaps that will shape recruitment and program design as schools reposition around AI, leadership judgment and authenticity.