Harvard Business School (HBS) is exploring innovative ways to expand its reach and enhance student learning by integrating AI-powered virtual instructors. These AI avatars, developed by the startup HeyGen, are now part of the HBS Foundry program, an 8-week entrepreneurial training camp priced at $699.
AI in the Classroom
While live lectures are still delivered by human instructors each week, practical sessions like mock pitches and board meetings now feature AI virtual versions of faculty members. These digital instructors are responsible for providing personalized feedback to the entrepreneurial students.
A Journalist’s Experience
New York Times reporter Sarah Kessler recently put this new system to the test. She presented her startup idea – essentially an “Uber for bananas” – to an AI avatar representing Jeff Bussgang, co-founder of Flybridge Capital. According to Kessler, both the real Bussgang and his AI counterpart seemed unimpressed with the concept. She noted that during her pitch, the AI version maintained a somewhat rigid smile.
The AI avatars are designed to offer a more guided and interactive experience than a simple chatbot. “My students love it,” stated Bussgang about his digital doppelganger.
From Chatbots to Avatars
Katharina Rings, the project lead, initially envisioned the AI’s role as more akin to a chatbot. However, after launching a pilot version at HBS, student feedback indicated a strong preference for a more interactive and guided experience. This led to the development and integration of the AI avatars.
Despite some younger individuals expressing reservations about AI, participants in the Foundry program reported to Kessler that they genuinely enjoyed interacting with the AI virtual instructors. Bussgang himself acknowledged that his digital counterpart felt a bit “eerie,” but ultimately confirmed its positive reception among his students.
This initiative by Harvard Business School highlights a growing trend of educational institutions leveraging artificial intelligence to offer scalable and personalized learning experiences. The HBS Foundry program, with its unique blend of human and AI instruction, aims to equip aspiring entrepreneurs with practical skills and feedback in a cost-effective manner.
The use of AI avatars in this context not only provides students with repeated opportunities for practice and critique without the direct time constraints of faculty availability but also offers a novel way to engage with course material. As AI technology continues to evolve, its application in education is likely to become more sophisticated, potentially transforming how feedback is delivered and how students learn to present their ideas.
