Harvard’s $699 bootcamp deploys AI avatars for student feedback

The avatars, developed by the startup HeyGen, offer a scalable solution for individual feedback that traditional teaching models struggle to provide. During a trial, New York Times reporter Sarah Kessler pitched a business plan to a digital version of Flybridge Capital co-founder Jeff Bussgang. Although the AI exhibited a somewhat frozen expression, it mimicked the critical scrutiny of its human counterpart effectively.

Project director Katharina Rings initially designed the AI component as a basic chatbot, but student feedback pushed the school toward a more immersive, guided experience. Despite the uncanny nature of the technology—which Bussgang himself described as slightly "creepy"—participants report a high level of engagement. The shift highlights a growing willingness among elite academic programs to embrace synthetic instructors, even as the broader student population remains skeptical of AI integration in higher education.