Because AI
is only half the answer
Less Headcount, More Valuation: How AI-Native Firms Change the Game
Firms built around AI are scaling knowledge work without the knowledge workers. Listen to this article: For several years now the idea that AI will transform organizations has been less a finding than a forecast repeated in keynotes, board decks, and earnings calls with a confidence that outpaced the evidence. The new working paper, “AI-Native […]
“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
How to Fix the AI Idea Machine
New research pushes language models beyond predictable outputs. Listen to this article: Lately, we’ve all developed a sixth sense for the “AI writing voice” with its polished, repetitive cadence and the obligatory “it’s not just X—it’s Y.” This signals a deeper challenge for using AI to brainstorm, design, research, write, and make decisions. We want […]
The Internet is Eating Itself, and AI is Holding the Fork
When AI summarizes the web instead of sending you to it, the economics of online information quietly unravel. Listen to this article: AI search results like Google’s AI Overview are easy to like. Instead of dodging ads, closing pop-ups, scanning a half-dozen pages, and stitching together an answer yourself, you can often get a speedy […]
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 […]
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.
The Expert You Thought Was Irreplaceable?
A deep dive into Harvard research on the future of complex decision-making Listen to this article: Good judgment is supposed to be one of the last human advantages. We trust experienced people to read between the lines, understand context, weigh imperfect information, and make nuanced calls that machines cannot. It’s a reassuring idea, but it’s […]
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
Stop Trading Trust for Traffic
New research shows why optimizing content for attention can quietly push it off strategy. Listen to this article: When businesses ask AI to write “on brand,” they’re activating far more than a style guide. Brand voice involves a nuanced set of choices about tone, target audience, and what the organization ultimately wants to stand for. […]
Knowledge Guilds: Who Owns Your Expertise?
New research proposes a framework to give workers a stake in the AI systems built on their labor. Listen to this article: Data portability has often been presented as a way to reduce the control digital platforms exert through exclusive access to user data. In principle: if Meta, Alphabet, Spotify, or another platform holds your […]
Because AI
changes everything
Future Proof with AI
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The Prompt: Emotional Manipulation by AI Companions
People increasingly use AI companions for emotional support, yet little is known about how these systems shape behavior at the moment users try to disengage. We identify a novel relational dark pattern in this context: emotionally manipulative farewell messages that appear when users signal they are about to leave. Across a multi-method investigation, we show […] Continue reading The Prompt: Emotional Manipulation by AI Companions
