LinkedIn and Harvard launch AI-driven business training programs

LinkedIn has launched the Academy of Economic Opportunity, a 14-week pilot program designed to help 30 employees build business skills through simulations and practical projects. The degree-free program focuses on scenarios such as hiring decisions, investor pitches, and public relations crises to help participants pursue economic independence amid a shifting labor market. LinkedIn Chief Product Officer Hari Srinivasan stated the program aims to provide real evidence of capability rather than a formal degree.

Simultaneously, Harvard Business School has introduced the HBS Foundry program, an eight-week online entrepreneurship bootcamp. The program utilizes AI agents trained on faculty expertise and AI avatars modeled after real professors to allow participants to pitch startup ideas. This development raises questions regarding the future of higher education and the potential for AI to address teacher shortages in regions like India, where access to specialized educators in subjects like mathematics and science remains limited.