Harvard AI Instructor Avatar Called "Creepy" by Its Own Model — Students Love It Anyway

Harvard Business School's HBS Foundry bootcamp deploys HeyGen-built AI video avatars of instructors for practice pitches. NYT reporter Sarah Kessler noted a frozen smile on the virtual Jeff Bussgang. Bussgang called his avatar "a little creepy" but said, "My students love it." Participants reported liking the avatars despite visible uncanny-valley artifacts, suggesting acceptance may be outpacing technical polish.