Harvard Business School just put AI stand-ins of its own instructors in front of paying students. The avatars, built by a startup called HeyGen, are the centerpiece of HBS Foundry, an eight-week, $699 bootcamp for entrepreneurs, according to TechCrunch AI. Human instructors still run live sessions every week, but when students practice their pitches and sit through mock board meetings, it’s the AI copies doing the talking and handing out feedback.
This is a notable move because it flips the usual script on AI in education. Instead of students quietly using chatbots to cut corners, the school itself is deploying AI as the teacher in the room.
What HBS actually launched
Here’s how the program breaks down, based on TechCrunch AI’s reporting:
- Format: An eight-week bootcamp aimed at entrepreneurs, priced at $699.
- Live component: Weekly sessions led by real human instructors.
- AI component: HeyGen-built avatars of real people who give individual feedback during practice pitches and simulated board meetings.
- The point: Give every student personalized coaching at a scale human faculty can’t match on their own.
The standout detail is the personalization. Getting one-on-one feedback from a seasoned investor is normally the scarcest, most expensive part of any startup program. Harvard is betting an avatar can hand that out to everyone at once.
The ‘Uber for bananas’ test
New York Times reporter Sarah Kessler tried the system herself, and her account gives the clearest picture of what it feels like. She pitched an AI-generated copy of Jeff Bussgang, co-founder of Flybridge Capital. Her idea? An “Uber for bananas.”
Both the real Bussgang and his digital twin were unimpressed. But Kessler noticed the tell that these avatars aren’t quite people yet. The virtual Bussgang held a “noticeably frozen smile” through her pitch. Bussgang himself admitted the copy is a little “creepy,” though he added, “My students love it.”
That gap between useful and uncanny is worth watching. The feedback can be sharp and on point, while the delivery still reminds you you’re talking to a rendering.
Why students asked for more AI, not less
One of the more interesting turns in TechCrunch AI’s coverage came from project director Katharina Rings. She first pictured the AI piece as something closer to a chatbot, a lighter, text-based helper.
Students pushed back after HBS released a trial version. They wanted a more guided experience, not a free-form bot. So the school leaned harder into the avatar approach.
That’s a meaningful signal. Plenty of college students have been vocal about disliking AI in their coursework, and Kessler notes that tension directly. Yet Foundry participants told her they actually like the avatars. The difference seems to be structure. When AI is framed as a coach walking you through a task, it lands differently than AI bolted onto an assignment.
What it means and what to watch
Harvard’s brand carries weight here. When one of the most recognizable business schools in the world charges money to put AI avatars in the teaching role, other institutions notice. Expect more programs to test simulated instructors, mentors, and interview panels.
A few open questions remain from the reporting:
- The uncanny factor: A frozen smile is a small thing, but trust in feedback depends on how real the delivery feels.
- Consent and likeness: These are copies of actual investors and instructors. How that scales, and who controls a digital version of themselves, is still being worked out.
- Learning outcomes: Students say they like it. Whether avatar coaching produces better founders is the harder question, and it’s not answered yet.
For now, Harvard has shown that people will pay to be critiqued by a convincing copy of an expert. The rest of the education world is about to find out whether that’s a novelty or the new normal. Full details are available at the original TechCrunch AI report.