Harvard's $699 Startup Bootcamp Uses AI Avatars to Coach Founders
Harvard Business School's new low-cost startup program, called Foundry, is leaning on AI avatars to scale personalized coaching. Priced at $699, the bootcamp gives participants access to digital replicas of actual instructors, which sit in on mock pitch sessions and simulated board meetings to offer real-time feedback.
The avatars are built to mimic the mannerisms and expertise of the human instructors they're modeled after, letting the program offer one-on-one style mentorship without requiring faculty to be present for every session. It's part of a broader trend of using generative AI to make traditionally expensive, high-touch education more accessible.
HBS hasn't detailed which AI vendor powers the avatars, but the move signals growing comfort among elite institutions with putting AI-generated personas in front of paying customers rather than just using chatbots.