As GenAI continues to reshape the educational landscape, business schools are exploring new ways to deliver teaching that is both scalable and human-centred. One promising development is the use of AI-powered faculty avatars, digital twins, that can support student learning while preserving the relational core of education. At the crossroads of projected growth in the AI Avatar market and ethical debates, we are beginning to recognise their potential to enhance the learning experience.  

In January 2024, the IDEA Lab at Imperial Business School launched a small-scale pilot project in collaboration with David Shrier, Professor of Practice (AI & Innovation), developing an AI avatar named Davatar as an experimental element of his AI Ventures module. The pilot was designed to give students hands-on experience with applied AI in a business context. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with many students identifying Davatar as the standout feature of the module.  

Building on this success, in spring 2025, we extended the use of AI avatars to support teaching modules like marketing management, entrepreneurship and innovation, and organisational behaviour on the Global Online MBA and Executive MBA programmes, and piloted three more avatars, MarkBot, OmarBot, and BartBot, which were developed in collaboration with the Touchcast Mentor Platform and Dr Ayelet Segal.  

These avatars were not intended to replace human educators, but to supplement and enhance faculty presence in online and blended learning environments. Initial feedback suggests they have the potential to transform the way we support students across different time zones, schedules, and diverse learning needs. 

Moving beyond FAQs: designing for dialogue 

Many AI tools in education often fall short because they are designed to deliver content passively, primarily answering frequently asked questions, and do little to support critical thinking or deeper understanding. Our aim was different. We wanted to explore whether AI avatars could play a meaningful pedagogical role by facilitating a more interactive and reflective learning process. 

To achieve this, we designed the avatar conversations based on Laurillard’s Conversational Framework, a model that sees learning as a dialogue between teacher and student. Students weren’t simply given answers. Instead, the avatars guided them back to key programme concepts and helped them explore different interpretations and applications.  

For example, a student might ask, “Is this a good example of emotional intelligence in the team task?” or “Should I apply Porter’s Five Forces to the group case or the individual one?” Rather than giving binary responses, the avatars encouraged the student to reflect and engage more deeply with the material. 

Initial feedback [on the AI-powered faculty avatars] suggests they have the potential to transform the way we support students across different time zones, schedules, and diverse learning needs.

Enhancing faculty presence through digital twins 

One of the ongoing challenges in online learning is the reduced sense of human connection. As per an article in Theory of Transactional Distance, students often feel isolated, especially when studying asynchronously or across different time zones, and their success on the programme can be impacted by the degree of “transactional distance” between themselves and their teachers. The AI avatars were created to address this by replicating the voice, tone, and visual likeness of real faculty members, effectively becoming “digital twins.” 

This was significant. In feedback surveys, students consistently reported that it felt more natural and reassuring to interact with an avatar that resembled their lecturer. As one student said, “It’s him, just in another form. It makes it feel more like he’s here with us.” This was especially important during periods of high stress, such as when approaching assignment deadlines, when students often seek last-minute reassurance or clarification. 

By embedding academic identity into the avatar experience, we were able to foster trust and sustain the continuity of the learning relationship. Our research in this area will continue to explore whether digital twins can contribute to a reduction in the perceived transactional distance for students in a blended or fully online programme.  

Supporting flexible and on-demand learning 

For students juggling work, family, and studies, often across different time zones, the traditional model of office hours and scheduled tutorials can be limiting. One of the main benefits of the avatars was their 24/7 availability. Students could engage with them whenever they needed support, whether during a lunch break in Singapore or late at night in London. 

Usage data from March to June 2025 showed clear spikes in avatar engagement just before major assignment deadlines. Students used them not for casual conversation, but for structured academic queries, whether seeking help with frameworks, clarification of learning outcomes, or guidance on assessments. This on-demand support reduced barriers to learning and made academic support more equitable and responsive. 

In 1984, educational psychologist Benjamin Bloom reported that students tutored one-to-one performed two standard deviations better than peers taught only in a group environment. Our research may help us understand whether AI avatars might one day help us solve the problem of scaling personalised one-to-one tutoring to make it available on-demand for all students. 

Strategic implications for educators and institutions 

The pilot raises broader questions about how AI can be integrated into teaching practice. First, any introduction of AI must begin with pedagogy, not technology.  It is Imperial Business School’s belief that tools like avatars should be designed to enhance – never to weaken or replace - the thoughtful dialogue and interaction between student and teacher that underpins effective learning. 

Secondly, the identity of the educator is important. Avatars that resemble real faculty members, both visually and vocally, help build stronger bonds with students. These aren’t anonymous chatbots; they are extensions of the educator’s presence. This sense of familiarity encourages engagement and helps students see AI as an ally, not a threat. 

Third, professional development will be crucial. To ensure faculty feel confident using these tools, we must offer opportunities to improve both technical skills and pedagogical understanding. This isn’t just about learning to operate a new platform; it’s about rethinking how we design and deliver teaching in an AI-enhanced environment. 

Where do we go from here? 

This was an initial pilot phase involving three modules and a small group of early-adopting faculty. The next step is to expand the initiative more broadly, testing AI avatar use across various disciplines, delivery modes, and levels of AI familiarity. In parallel, we will continue to research student and academic attitudes towards the use of AI tools in education, and to explore the ethical and environmental aspects of this technology.

Ultimately, our goal is not to replace the human elements of teaching, but to explore the responsible use of AI to enhance them. Digital twins offer a way to extend faculty presence, provide responsive support, and foster more inclusive learning experiences. When used thoughtfully, they may help us reimagine what personalised education can be like in an increasingly digital world.