Harvard's $699 startup bootcamp offers AI avatars
Harvard Business School launches an 8-week $699 startup bootcamp utilizing HeyGen AI avatars to provide feedback to entrepreneurs.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Harvard Business School introduces the 8-week HBS Foundry bootcamp priced at $699
- The program integrates AI avatars built by startup HeyGen to deliver personalized feedback
- Flybridge Capital co-founder Jeff Bussgang acknowledges his digital twin feels a bit creepy
Harvard Business School is expanding its educational reach by leveraging artificial intelligence avatars to deliver individualized feedback to program participants. These digital representations were developed by a startup named HeyGen.
The initiative is part of the HBS Foundry, an eight-week startup bootcamp for entrepreneurs priced at 699 dollars. While the curriculum includes live weekly sessions with human instructors, the AI avatars handle the critical role of providing feedback during practice pitch sessions and simulated board meetings.
New York Times reporter Sarah Kessler tested the system firsthand by pitching an Uber for bananas concept to an AI-generated copy of Flybridge Capital co-founder Jeff Bussgang. Both the real Bussgang and his digital replica were unenthusiastic about the business plan, with Kessler noting that the virtual version maintained a noticeably frozen smile throughout her presentation.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Project director Katharina Rings shared that she initially envisioned the artificial intelligence component functioning more like a standard chatbot. However, after HBS launched a preliminary trial version, students explicitly requested a more guided and structured experience.
The integration of AI avatars into business education highlights how premier institutions are attempting to scale personalized mentorship, overcoming the time limitations of human professors. While digital replicas offer scalable interaction, capturing subtle human expressions and emotional nuances remains an evolving challenge in educational technology.
Although numerous college students have voiced apprehension regarding artificial intelligence across various campuses, participants in the Foundry program reported positive impressions of the avatars. Addressing his own digital replica, Jeff Bussgang admitted that while his copy is somewhat creepy, he noted, My students love it.
Source: TechCrunch
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