Prabha Jha, a leader at Verizon, has co-written a book about artificial intelligence with 20 other business leaders. The book, called “The AI Anthology,” is a collection of essays on how AI has affected different industries and society.
The project grew out of Jha’s time in an AI course for senior executives run by MIT Open Learning. MIT shared her story in a report published on October 27, 2026.
Jha holds a bachelor’s degree in information technology from the University of Calcutta. She earned her MBA while working at Verizon, where she still works today.
Why She Chose MIT
Jha said she grew up seeing MIT as “the mecca for anybody who is in engineering and technology.” When she wanted to learn more about AI, the school was her first choice.
She picked MIT xPRO’s AI for Senior Executives program because it included time on campus. Many other programs she looked at were fully online.
Jha said the course took a lot of time and money. Still, she called it one of “the best decisions” she has made and said she would do it again.
The program helped her build several AI solutions for Verizon. It also gave her professional contacts who later helped write the book.
Two months before she was set to finish, Jha spent two weeks in the hospital with a severe infection. She could not graduate with her original group.
MIT staff helped her join the next cohort. That gave her five more days on campus with about 100 new classmates.
Jha said the course content had already been updated just six months later. She estimates 30 percent of her learning came from the program and professor, and 70 percent came from her peers.
How the Book Came Together
The idea for the book came during a “salon gathering” at the home of Manolis Kellis, a professor in MIT’s Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Students shared personal stories about their experiences with AI.
One classmate said her interest in AI came from trying to find a cure for her mother’s Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Jha said that moment showed her that AI is personal.
She suggested to her peers that they collect these stories in a book. One year later, the group released “The AI Anthology.”
Jha said many leaders still judge success by revenue, cost cuts and time saved. She believes they need to think beyond those measures to get more out of AI.
She said AI adoption is not optional for businesses. At Verizon, she said AI has helped her move faster on work that once needed a larger team.
Jha is now working on a new project to support small and medium-sized businesses using AI. She aims to help them pick the right tools, fit AI into their operations and measure results.
