Harvard Business School program lets students get pitch feedback from AI clones of real instructors
Harvard Business School's new eight-week, $699 startup bootcamp uses AI avatars built by HeyGen to simulate real instructors and give founders feedback on their pitches.
As Harvard Business School works to broaden its reach, it has turned to AI avatars of its own instructors as part of a new program for entrepreneurs. The eight-week bootcamp, called HBS Foundry, costs $699.
While participants attend weekly live sessions with actual instructors, it's AI avatars — created by startup HeyGen — that deliver individual feedback during practice pitches and simulated board meetings.
Testing the digital double
New York Times reporter Sarah Kessler tried the experience herself, pitching an AI-generated version of Jeff Bussgang, co-founder of Flybridge Capital. Both the real Bussgang and his digital counterpart were unimpressed by her pitch for an "Uber for bananas" concept. Kessler noted that the virtual version wore a noticeably frozen smile throughout her pitch.
From chatbot to avatar
Project director Katharina Rings said she had originally envisioned the AI feature as something closer to a simple chatbot. But after HBS rolled out a trial version, students asked for a more guided experience, which led to the current avatar format.
While college students more broadly have often voiced skepticism toward AI tools, Foundry participants told Kessler they actually like the avatars. Bussgang himself admitted his digital copy is a bit "creepy," but added that his students love it.
