Serious-Play Cards for Teaching AI Applications in Manufacturing

This paper introduces a serious-play card deck designed to teach artificial intelligence (AI) use case applications in manufacturing. The deck comprises 42 cards, each presenting a real-world problem paired with a corresponding AI use case. Instructors can use these cards to facilitate structured and engaging group discussions. The paper describes the design of the cards and their implementations across four executive education classes in both classroom and metaverse settings. For the most recent intervention, we conducted a structured evaluation using an anonymous, theory-anchored survey instrument. The results indicate that the cards are perceived as engaging and valuable, particularly for supporting application-oriented learning and peer-based discussion while contributing less strongly to perceived knowledge acquisition. These findings suggest that serious-play cards are most effective as a complement to conventional teaching methods, enabling learners to translate abstract AI concepts into context-specific managerial reasoning. The paper provides full instructions and card details that support reuse by instructors.