Because AI
is only half the answer
Forget the Algorithms: Follow the Electricity
New research shows AI data center infrastructure is more closely tied to clean-energy returns than to traditional energy. Listen to this article: Behind every AI prompt sits a heavy, physical infrastructure with a growing appetite for electricity. This could lift demand for natural gas and energy storage, renewables, grid equipment, and transmission, but each option […]
“If your workers aren’t frustrated using AI, then you’re nowhere near where you should be.”
Mary ErdoesMary Callahan Erdoes , HBS AI Institute Advisory Council Member and CEO of JPMorgan Asset and Wealth Management
The Attachment Science Behind AI Companions
New Harvard research offers a clear framework for understanding how chatbots create deep emotional bonds. Listen to this article: AI companions have quickly moved from novelty apps to objects of public anxiety. Critics worry about social substitution, emotional manipulation, and addiction, while advocates point to the possibility of reducing loneliness and improving mental health. But […]
Think You’re a Good Leader? Try Leading an AI Team
Researchers found that an AI-based assessment closely tracked leaders’ impact on human teams. Listen to this article: Judging a leader with a successful team is like judging the conductor of a great orchestra: the outcome reflects both the person directing the group and the abilities of everyone around them. Measuring leadership therefore requires a way […]
Open and User Innovation Conference 2026: AI and the Organization of Knowledge
Firms were built to control scarce knowledge. AI is testing that premise from the inside. Listen to this article: This article continues our coverage of the 2026 Open and User Innovation (OUI) Conference, where HBS Professor Raffaella Sadun presented the day two keynote “AI and the Organization of Knowledge.” Sadun describes herself as an organizational […]
Because AI
is a superpower
About the Institute
Launched in 2022 as the Digital Data Design Institute at Harvard and evolving into the HBS AI Institute in 2026, we are a global research center focused on the premise that AI technology is only half the answer and that businesses must also revamp their processes to harness its full potential. The Institute is made up of an unbiased, multidisciplinary team of Harvard and Harvard Business School faculty and researchers, business leaders, and entrepreneurs devoted to sharing proven learnings on reshaping business for a digital and AI-first world.
Using AI for Mental Health the Right Way
A randomized trial suggests purpose-built AI may help spot and support emotional strain. Listen to this article: Modern life is full of signals. A watch can tell us our heart rate, an app can tell us how many hours we slept, and our fridges can even alert us if we’re running low on eggs. But […]
Because AI
transforms productivity
“…what’s different is the promise of this technology. AI has the capabilities of summarizing and allowing people to access tacit knowledge that is typically, you know, exclusive to experts.”
Raffaella Sadun John Winsor , Co-Principal Investigator at the Digital Reskilling Lab
Out of the Loop?
The case for rethinking when humans should review AI output Listen to this article: We tend to treat human oversight in AI adoption as the responsible choice. But as organizations increase their reliance on AI, the feasibility of that plan falters: if AI is deployed at scale, there will simply be too many touchpoints to […]
Leaders: AI Adoption is Up to You
A new survey of tech founders finds that adoption hides a much bigger story about who is willing to restructure work around AI Listen to this article: AI will not reorganize your company for you. With increased automation and agentic AI systems inching into the workplace, leaders have a vital role to play in producing […]
Because AI
changes everything
Future Proof with AI
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The Prompt: The Impact of AI on Sales Performance and Organization
As AI spreads through the workplace, it has the potential to radically change performance across departments for workers of varying experience. In this HBS AI Institute webinar, join Professor Christopher Stanton as he breaks down his research on the impact of AI in sales. In this area, could the adoption of AI amplify performance differences […] Continue reading The Prompt: The Impact of AI on Sales Performance and Organization
