Imagine having an AI version of yourself as a teaching assistant. Well, that’s exactly what instructors at Vilnius University in Lithuania did earlier this year. They introduced AI chatbot versions of themselves to assist students with their questions and homework.
Paul Jurcys and Goda Strikaitė-Latušinskaja, the instructors behind this innovative approach, created AI chatbots named Paul AI and Goda AI. These chatbots were trained solely on academic materials, and students were encouraged to interact with them to get answers to their questions before seeking assistance from the human instructors.
“We introduced them as our assistants — as our research assistants that help people interact with our knowledge in a new and unique way,” says Jurcys.
While the use of AI chatbots as teaching assistants is gaining popularity, some experts express concerns about the potential impact on human relationships in educational settings. Despite the convenience they offer, there are worries about replacing human interaction with algorithms.
In this week’s EdSurge Podcast, Paul Jurcys and Goda Strikaitė-Latušinskaja share their experiences with the AI twins in their classroom, highlighting both the benefits and challenges they encountered. A student, Maria Ignacia, also provides her perspective on interacting with chatbot TAs.
Listen to the podcast episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
