The Digital Data Design Institute at Harvard is now the Harvard Business School AI Institute.

Industry 4.0

It is no surprise that the inception of the Industrial Revolution remains an epicenter for innovation and growth in the digital economy. Smart factories, advancements in supply chain management, and transformations of traditional manufacturing relationships – all are markers of the new face of industry in the digital age.
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GenAI Advantage May Belong to Firms That Already Have It

AI tools are everywhere. Profits may not be. Listen to this article: Generative AI looks like a startup’s dream. It’s widely available, relatively cheap to access, and capable of automating tasks that once required long hours and large teams. In theory, that should give newer, smaller firms an edge for challenging incumbents. But as reported […]

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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 […]

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The Real AI Divide Isn’t Who Uses It Most

Research shows that giving AI to everyone doesn’t help everyone Listen to this article: Lately, you may have noticed some colleagues seem to use AI for everything. They ask it to sharpen emails, produce meeting notes, brainstorm strategy, and pressure-test campaigns. Watching them, it’s tempting to think the advantage lies in sheer volume: maybe the […]

HBS AI Institute Associates Spotlight Series: Michael Lingzhi Li

This series introduces Harvard Business School AI Institute Associates Program projects which aim to answer important questions at the intersection of artificial intelligence and digital technologies in business and society. This article shares insights from Michael Lingzhi Li, Assistant Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School who is pursuing research on the topics of […]

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The Hidden Economics of Workplace AI

As AI learns directly from how people work, a new tension is emerging about expertise, power, and governance. Listen to this article: In many workplaces, the newest addition to virtual meetings isn’t a colleague, but an AI assistant like Granola or Otter. Suddenly no one has to scramble for action items or wonder who said […]

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80 Apps in One Afternoon: What the Frontier Firm Initiative Is Already Building

The Frontier Firm AI Initiative was designed around a simple conviction: the most important questions about AI in business can’t be answered in theory. Listen to this article: On Wednesday, March 11, 2026, senior leaders from across the Frontier Firm AI Initiative came together at Harvard Business School for Journey to the Frontier, an event […]

HBS AI Institute Associates Spotlight Series: Elie Ofek and Julian De Freitas

This series introduces Harvard Business School AI Institute Associates Program projects which aim to answer important questions at the intersection of artificial intelligence and digital technologies in business and society. This article shares insights from Elie Ofek, Malcolm P. McNair Professor of Marketing, Harvard Business School and Julian De Freitas, Assistant Professor of Business Administration, […]

HBS AI Institute Associates Spotlight Series: Dr. Livia Alfonsi

This series introduces Harvard Business School AI Institute Associates Program projects which aim to answer important questions at the intersection of artificial intelligence and digital technologies in business and society. This article shares insights from Dr. Livia Alfonsi, Assistant Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, whose research studies labor markets and the transition […]

HBS AI Institute Associates Spotlight Series: Alex Chan

This series introduces Harvard Business School AI Institute Associates Program projects which aim to answer important questions at the intersection of artificial intelligence and digital technologies in business and society. This article shares insights from Alex Chan, Assistant Professor of Business Administration in the Negotiation, Organizations & Markets Unit at Harvard Business School who is […]

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How AI Can Spot Your Next Billion-Dollar Idea

A new study shows how AI can influence the kind of innovation you end up funding. Many of us have started using AI as an “answer machine” to brainstorm ideas, analyze data, and pressure-test assumptions. You might even have a set of preferred prompts saved for just these purposes. But how often do you switch […]

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