Harvard Business School’s Foundry bootcamp is introducing AI avatars of instructors as part of its eight-week program for entrepreneurs. Priced at $699, the bootcamp includes both live weekly sessions with real instructors and AI-generated avatars that provide feedback during practice pitches and mock board meetings.
How the AI avatars work
The avatars are built by the startup HeyGen and mirror actual course instructors. During practice presentations, participants receive critique from these virtual versions, simulating real-time responses and interaction. The live sessions still occur weekly, but the avatars step in for more structured feedback between sessions.
One participant trialed pitching to an avatar modeled after Flybridge Capital co-founder Jeff Bussgang. While both the virtual and real versions of Bussgang were critical of her idea — meant to be something like Uber for bananas — the virtual version stood out for its rigid smile and stiff responses during feedback.
Student reaction and intent behind the tech
Initially, the Foundry team planned a chatbot–style AI for feedback. Pilot testing revealed that students preferred more lifelike engagement, which led to the avatar approach. According to the program director Katharina Rings, the avatars emerged from user demand for guided practice over more basic AI.
Some students took issue with AI experimentation in academia, but many in the bootcamp have expressed enthusiasm for the avatars. Bussgang’s avatar, despite calling it a little unsettling, was embraced by students who said they enjoy interacting with it.
Pricing and program structure
The bootcamp costs $699 and runs over eight weeks. Alongside the AI avatars, real instructors host weekly sessions. Between those, participants use avatars to prepare and refine pitches and board meeting style presentations.
Summary of Highlights:
- AI avatars created by HeyGen mimic real instructors for feedback during practice sessions ([techcrunch.com](https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/22/harvards-699-startup-bootcamp-offers-ai-avatars-of-its-instructors/))
- Live instructor-led weekly lessons complement avatar feedback ([techcrunch.com](https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/22/harvards-699-startup-bootcamp-offers-ai-avatars-of-its-instructors/))
- Early trials showed avatars preferred after students sought more interactive feedback than just chatbots ([techcrunch.com](https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/22/harvards-699-startup-bootcamp-offers-ai-avatars-of-its-instructors/))
- Participants generally positive; avatar modeled on Bussgang seen as “creepy” but fun and useful ([techcrunch.com](https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/22/harvards-699-startup-bootcamp-offers-ai-avatars-of-its-instructors/))
Harvard’s addition of AI avatars into the Foundry bootcamp reflects broader experimentation in AI-driven pedagogy. By blending human instruction with synthetic feedback agents, the program aims to accelerate skill-building, particularly in pitch development. As AI becomes more adept at mimicking human instructors, watching for how credibility, realism, and emotional nuance evolve will be key.
