Harvard’s $699 startup bootcamp offers AI avatars of its instructors
News Source
•Sat, 22 Aug 2026 21:46:56 +0000
📰 What Happened
Harvard Business School is testing a new eight-week, $699 startup bootcamp that pairs live online classes with AI copies of the teachers. These digital doubles were built by a startup called HeyGen and they give feedback during practice startup pitches and fake board meetings. The copies are meant to guide students when the real instructors are not live on screen.
A reporter tried the tool by pitching to a digital copy of a famous investor, Jeff Bussgang. Both the real investor and his copy seemed unimpressed by her odd idea, and she spotted that the fake smile looked frozen. Even so, the leaders of the course say the early students truly liked the guided feeling of the copies.
🔍 The Backstory
Harvard wanted to reach more people than its famous program could by lowering the cost to $699. The project began as a simple chatbot helper, but students who tried the first version asked for a richer, better-guided experience. That shifted the team from a chatbot helper into lifelike video copies of the teachers.
Some students dislike the idea, but many bootcamp stars say they love the copies. Even the real investor says his own digital copy feels a little creepy, but his students love it. The effort shows how fast schools are turning to AI to spread the teaching, while also stirring big new questions about what a real teacher is and how much learning can be taught by a machine.
🎯 Why It Matters
This is a clear sign that AI helpers are starting to appear in real classes, not just as chat bots. It shows an expensive university trying to grow without raising costs, but it also muddles who really does the teaching.
Harvard Business School is testing a new eight-week, $699 startup bootcamp that pairs live online classes with AI copies of the teachers. These digital doubles were built by a startup called HeyGen and they give feedback during practice startup pitches and fake board meetings. The copies are meant to guide students when the real instructors are not live on screen.
A reporter tried the tool by pitching to a digital copy of a famous investor, Jeff Bussgang. Both the real investor and his copy seemed unimpressed by her odd idea, and she spotted that the fake smile looked frozen. Even so, the leaders of the course say the early students truly liked the guided feeling of the copies.
Harvard wanted to reach more people than its famous program could by lowering the cost to $699. The project began as a simple chatbot helper, but students who tried the first version asked for a richer, better-guided experience. That shifted the team from a chatbot helper into lifelike video copies of the teachers.
Some students dislike the idea, but many bootcamp stars say they love the copies. Even the real investor says his own digital copy feels a little creepy, but his students love it. The effort shows how fast schools are turning to AI to spread the teaching, while also stirring big new questions about what a real teacher is and how much learning can be taught by a machine.
This is a clear sign that AI helpers are starting to appear in real classes, not just as chat bots. It shows an expensive university trying to grow without raising costs, but it also muddles who really does the teaching.