Just like every day now, I came across a new article about the use of AI on education. It was talking about Praxis AI, a digital education company, partnering with Anthropic to create AI-powered “digital twins of professors.” The outcome of this partnership is a full letter grade improvement in class averages for students. So, I wanted to ponder on the issue further.
First, here is a brief summary of the article: Praxis AI is a digital education company with its AI-powered teaching assistants, essentially digital versions of professors, who are available 24/7 to help students whenever they get stuck. After the company started rolling out these assistants, student use of the platform jumped 15-fold, and grades improved by about one full letter grade.
Why We Should Care
Being a student today is tough. You’re juggling classes, jobs, family, and many other struggles including mental health concerns, academic and financial pressures. Professors are equally overwhelmed, trying their best to support hundreds of students at once. This is where AI steps in to take care of repetitive questions and do basic tutoring. For example, at Clemson University, a bioinformatics professor struggled to provide timely feedback to his 125 students. After implementing his digital twin, he saw student engagement and average grades rising significantly. Similarly, another professor’s digital twin at some other university answered an 2,000 student questions per week! And the average grade rose similarly from a C to a B.
Where AI Helps
- It is always there for you: It’s comforting to know you can get help any time, day or night.
- Professors can breathe easier: AI can handle all those repetitive, basic queries, freeing professors to have deeper, more personal interactions.
- Early Support: AI can quickly spot when someone is falling behind, giving students the support they need before it’s too late.
Where AI Falls Short
- Missing the Human Touch: So far, it is obvious that AI can’t replace the connection and encouragement you get from a professor who truly cares about you.
- Data and Privacy Worries: Having AI handle sensitive student information naturally raises questions about security and privacy. “Can we really trust these systems?” is a major concern.
- Mistakes and Biases: AI is built on data—and sometimes that data isn’t perfect. There’s always the chance AI might reinforce biases or make mistakes.
- Not Cheap: For smaller or less wealthy schools, bringing in advanced AI solutions might be financially tough.
My Take
AI has a huge potential but it comes with its costs. The best approach is to see AI as a supportive partner, not a replacement for real, human educators. Finding the right balance of combining smart technology with personal interactions is the clear key (at least for now). The institutions that get this balance right will define the future of education.
Questions to ponder further: Are we ready to trust AI in the classroom, or are there challenges we’re overlooking?
Reference Article:
- Praxis AI pioneers AI-driven education with Claude in Amazon Bedrock, https://www.anthropic.com/customers/praxis
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