The Opportunity
The past few years have brought a rapid evolution of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) and an increasing availability of tools. With a desire to be at the forefront of this new technology, HBS IT launched a strategic initiative to evaluate opportunities and risks in order to ensure informed decision-making on the use and investment in GenAI. The project team set out to understand and communicate current GenAI activities, impacts, and needs at HBS by gathering information from the School and greater Harvard community.
The Solution
The initiative laid the groundwork for HBS IT to implement GenAI tools throughout the School community. HBS IT conducted pilot programs with faculty and staff in early 2024, introducing tools like ChatGPT and Microsoft 365 Copilot to explore their use cases across different roles. After a successful pilot, this work enabled HBS IT to expand access to GenAI tools for all students, faculty, and staff.
In partnership with colleagues in HBS IT and Harvard University IT (HUIT), the team ensured alignment with broader institutional goals and encouraged responsible exploration of AI tools. By collaborating across HBS and Harvard, the team supported adoption efforts, documented best practices, and developed and delivered training.
The Impact/Outcomes
Throughout the project, HBS IT was able to provide more than 5,000 HBS community members with access to GenAI tools such as ChatGPT Edu, Copilot for Microsoft 365, and Harvard AI Sandbox. The project team launched the GenAI Tools at HBS IT SharePoint site, a one-stop resource for faculty, staff, and doctoral students that offers guidance, training, and support for the community to understand how and when to use different tools. These resources help our community better understand when and how to use tools for different tasks, from drafting emails and generating images to analyzing data and summarizing meeting notes.
A series of trainings developed on GenAI topics also became popular, with 45 trainings delivered to a total of 718 attendees in FY24, and another 89 trainings to a total of 1,144 attendees in the first two quarters of FY25. In addition, learning and instructional designers offer personalized support for faculty, creating custom solutions for unique use cases and teaching objectives–such as Digital Insights Analyst (DIA), the School’s first chatbot for faculty course evaluations. These tools and resources help the HBS community experiment with GenAI responsibly.
The impact of the project has extended throughout HBS IT and the larger School community. HBS IT’s AI Alliance works to champion experimentation with AI tools and share collected knowledge with HBS IT to encourage continued use. The Business Relationship Managers (BRMs) have been integral to the adoption of GenAI tools across the School, helping to organize and plan AI-related community events, including AI showcases, a HBS IT Hackathon, and Prompt-a-Thons for IT and HBS.
"The GenAI Exploration and Enablement project teams have been instrumental in bringing this cutting-edge technology to the HBS community,” says Jeanne Po, Managing Director, Learning Experience Design & Interactive Spaces. “Through their efforts, HBS IT has been able to provide access to exciting new GenAI tools, while also offering the education and support needed to ensure that staff, faculty, and students can exploring the many possibilities of these tools in their work and learning."