Harvard Business School Launches AI-Powered Entrepreneurship Bootcamp

Harvard Business School launched H.B.S. Foundry, a $699 eight-week entrepreneurship bootcamp designed to scale educational offerings through AI technology. Developed in partnership with AI avatar maker HeyGen, the program utilizes video call simulations where students interact with AI clones of faculty members, including senior lecturer Jeff Bussgang.

These AI agents are specifically programmed to be rigorous and avoid obsequiousness, a design choice intended to mirror the school's forced grading curve. Students use the avatars to practice sales calls, pitches, and board meetings. Project director Katharina Rings managed the program's evolution from a basic chatbot into a guided AI experience, while faculty co-chair Tom Eisenmann ensured the agents remained tough on student submissions.

The program has undergone testing with more than 100 universities across 50 states. Some of these institutions sponsor student admission to assist them in commercializing academic research. While the school intends to reach a broader audience beyond its annual MBA intake, faculty members have noted that peer-to-peer forums continue to be among the most popular features of the platform.