Harvard Business School is expanding its educational reach by incorporating AI-driven instructor avatars to deliver personalized feedback. As part of the eight-week ‘HBS Foundry’ bootcamp for entrepreneurs, priced at $699, students interact with virtual replicas of real faculty members.
Developed using technology from the startup HeyGen, these digital avatars are designed to evaluate student practice pitches and simulate board meetings. Although the project initially contemplated basic chatbots, student feedback during trials pushed the institution toward a more guided and interactive virtual experience.
While reporters noted subtle visual quirks like frozen smiles during pitches, participants have generally embraced the digital instructors. This experiment highlights a broader shift toward integrating generative AI into higher education curricula, redefining how mentorship and feedback are delivered at scale.
- Harvard deploys AI avatars of professors for startup bootcamp feedback.
- The avatars are created by startup HeyGen for practice pitches.
- The eight-week HBS Foundry program is priced at $699.
- Students report positive experiences with the digital instructor replicas.
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