Mediaboss Marketing

When most people think of artificial intelligence (AI) they think of HAL 9000 from "2001: A Space Odyssey," Data from "Star Trek," or more recently, the android Ava from "Ex Machina." But to a computer scientist that isn't what AI necessarily is, and the question "what is AI?" can be a complicated one.

One of the standard textbooks in the field, by University of California computer scientists Stuart Russell and Google's director of research, Peter Norvig, puts artificial intelligence in to four broad categories:

The differences between them can be subtle, notes Ernest Davis, a professor of computer science at New York University. AlphaGo, the computer program that beat a world champion at Go, acts rationally when it plays the game (it plays to win). But it doesn't necessarily think the way a human being does, though it engages in some of the same pattern-recognition tasks. Similarly, a machine that acts like a human doesn't necessarily bear much resemblance to people in the way it processes information.

Even IBM's Watson, which acted somewhat like a human when playing Jeopardy, wasn't using anything like the rational processes humans use.

Davis says he uses another definition, centered on what one wants a computer to do. "There are a number of cognitive tasks that people do easily often, indeed, with no conscious thought at all but that are extremely hard to program on computers. Archetypal examples are vision and natural language understanding. Artificial intelligence, as I define it, is the study of getting computers to carry out these tasks," he said.

Computer vision has made a lot of strides in the past decade cameras can now recognize faces in the frame and tell the user where they are. However, computers are still not that good at actually recognizing faces, and the way they do it is different from the way people do. A Google image search, for instance, just looks for images in which the pattern of pixels matches the reference image. More sophisticated face recognition systems look at the dimensions of the face to match them with images that might not be simple face-on photos. Humans process the information rather differently, and exactly how that process works is still something of an open question for neuroscientists and cognitive scientists.

Other tasks, though, are proving tougher. For example, Davis and NYU psychology professor Gary Marcus wrote in the Communications of the Association for Computing Machinery of "common sense" tasks that computers find very difficult. A robot serving drinks, for example, can be programmed to recognize a request for one, and even to manipulate a glass and pour one. But if a fly lands in the glass the computer still has a tough time deciding whether to pour the drink in and serve it (or not).

The issue is that much of "common sense" is very hard to model. Computer scientists have taken several approaches to get around that problem. IBM's Watson, for instance, was able to do so well on Jeopardy! because it had a huge database of knowledge to work with and a few rules to string words together to make questions and answers. Watson, though, would have a difficult time with a simple open-ended conversation.

Beyond tasks, though, is the issue of learning. Machines can learn, said Kathleen McKeown, a professor of computer science at Columbia University. "Machine learning is a kind of AI," she said.

Some machine learning works in a way similar to the way people do it, she noted. Google Translate, for example, uses a large corpus of text in a given language to translate to another language, a statistical process that doesn't involve looking for the "meaning" of words. Humans, she said, do something similar, in that we learn languages by seeing lots of examples.

That said, Google Translate doesn't always get it right, precisely because it doesn't seek meaning and can sometimes be fooled by synonyms or differing connotations.

One area that McKeown said is making rapid strides is summarizing texts; systems to do that are sometimes employed by law firms that have to go through a lot of it.

McKeown also thinks personal assistants is an area likely to move forward quickly. "I would look at the movie 'Her,'" she said. In that 2013 movie starring Joaquin Phoenix, a man falls in love with an operating system that has consciousness.

"I initially didn't want to go see it, I said that's totally ridiculous," McKeown said. "But I actually enjoyed it. People are building these conversational assistants, and trying to see how far can we get."

The upshot is AIs that can handle certain tasks well exist, as do AIs that look almost human because they have a large trove of data to work with. Computer scientists have been less successful coming up with an AI that can think the way we expect a human being to, or to act like a human in more than very limited situations.

"I don't think we're in a state that AI is so good that it will do things we hadn't imagined it was going to do," McKeown said.

Additional resources

Original post:
What Is Artificial Intelligence? | Live Science

Artificial intelligence has captured everyone's imagination, but what can we expect from the technology? A recent surveyof more than 550 executives from IBM finds plenty of support from the top -- everyone wants to plunge full-force into AI to increase the speed and capabilities of their businesses. At the same time, AI is still very much in the early stages. More than half of the executives are still either experimenting or testing on a limited basis around their organizations, and one in seven is only at the planning stage.

Before enterprises begin sinking large sums of funds into AI approaches, it's important to understand where AI can have the greatest impact. In his latest book, The AI Age, Adam Riccoboni, founder of AI consulting firm Critical Future, explores the areas where AI is already making a difference, and where we stand on the AI evolutionary scale.

There are multiple areas of the business that can benefit from AI right now. Riccoboni identifies the key business areas where AI can be applied to enhance or increase capabilities:

Supply Chain Management

(AI's potential in the supply chain is explored more deeply in this recent post.)

Sales

Marketing

Operations

IT

Human Resources:

Finance

But AI means much more than simply boosting intelligence within narrow bands of business functions. Ultimately, it means new ways of doing business. The AI revolution will move through four stages, and we are just moving into the second stage, Riccoboni states. Here's what to expect as the AI revolution unfolds:

Finally, Riccoboni provides some career guidance for professionals seeking to build careers in the AI age. While many opportunities are arising as a result of the growth of AI -- AI systems development and data science, for example, Riccoboni advises professionals to focus on being generalists, not specialists, to prepare for this new world. "Human creativity is an area of comparative advantage over AI because of its generality. Empathy is a narrow skill, so AI can be trained to do it. But when empathy means being able to connect the dots across domains, machines cannot master this... Instead of learning narrow technical skills, we need versatile, cross-domain, generalist skills."

See the original post:
7 business areas ripe for an artificial intelligence boost ...

Getty

Deb Norton spends her days helping teachers in Wisconsins Oshkosh Area school district get more comfortable with technology tools theyre using to engage students. A few years ago, she started seeing increasing mentions of artificial intelligence. Around then, the International Society for Technology in Education asked her to lead a course on the uses of artificial intelligence in the K-12 classroom.

She was initially intrigued when she saw students light up at the mention of artificial intelligence. It soon became clear to her that they were already experiencing AI in their daily lives, with tools like Instagram filters or chatbots on websites. Watching them interact with this content really draws me in, Norton said.

Since then, shes been connecting an increasingly diverse set of educators with the possibilities of AI as a teaching tool. The course includes sections on the definition of artificial intelligence; machine learning; voice experiences and chatbots; and the role of data in AI systems. Attendees include K-12 teachers, administrators, and tech leaders, as well as representatives of technology companies.

Part of her mission has been to communicate that AI isnt newthe term was coined in 1956, and research has been underway for even longer, but now, were starting to use it in our everyday lives, she said.

AI is so strong today that it can create a written paper, a song, a poem, a dance, Norton said. Humans can perceive it as something that was created by a human when, in fact, AI created it on its own.

Heres what she thinks about its potential and the challenges to broader implementation.

Deb Norton

I think the most important thing that people have to realize is that artificial intelligence does encompass more than just a computer that can perform a task. Many people think artificial intelligence is just when my little Alexa Dot over there talks to me or when Netflix makes a recommendation for me. They often think its a task-oriented type of thing. Our goal is often to think of AI beyond just performing tasks to something that is able to make decisions and hold conversations.

Many teachers will put together some type of interactive presentation just to present AI to the class, using real interactive components with the lessons so students are creating some of these cool AI experiments. Tech-coach administrators might present AI to teachers, getting them that knowledge or information through some type of workshop or webinar.

I had a group not long ago that created a lesson about machine learning using AI, and it was all tied to yoga, and how the student could do the yoga pose that could be recognized through machine learning, and then the machine could give them feedback on their yoga poses.

A lot of folks use the idea of how big data drives artificial intelligence. A lot of people go back [after the course] with creating chatbots or voice experiences. If youre working with elementary students, it might be a simple coding site like Scratch where you can create an interactive character or a program for creating an Alexa skill.

AI could become a really big part of virtual learning and at-home learning, but I just dont think were quite there yet. For many of our educators, theyre just dipping their feet into how this would work. Having a virtual tutor is something that is becoming more and more in the conversation of AI, but it is not something I see at this point in time being implemented.

Im seeing little pieces of it globally, thoughsome seniors who were graduating in Japan could participate in their graduation via an AI robot that represents them. Ive seen quite a few articles coming out of other countries on the ability to have a virtual tutor that cannot just spew information at you and test your knowledge but rather learn your way of learning. Were not quite there yet.

With at-home learning, that need will be more prevalent. It will most likely grow quicker than if we didnt have at-home learning.

I think its just both students and teachers knowing how it would work. Some of it is cost. A true chatbot that works on a website costs money. If you want something that will engage and work, thats a funding issue as well.

I think privacy is one of the big barriers. Many districts dont allow schools to open up Alexas and Google Homes because of the privacy of the data thats being collected. One suggestion is to set up a separate network at schools for the use of a smart speaker. Another suggestion is to use the Alexa App on a tablet instead of an actual smart speaker such as an Echo Dot or Google Home speaker. The app can be set up to only listen when you initiate it, unlike a smart speaker that is always listening.

Artificial intelligence can know what would be the best mode of delivering the content and at what pace and how deep. To be able to differentiate for every learner and know every learners strengths and weaknesses, that would be incredible.

I also see the capabilities, from a teacher-educator point of view, to be able to engage and monitor and track the types of lessons and strategies that can be delivered in the most effective way in the classroom. AI could help with that, even if its just as simple as an AI-powered search engine for a teacher in which they are able to search for content in a far deeper way than what we currently can.

Even voice experienceslets say in the future a student had an earbud and a microphone. What if we could ask Alexa something deeper than fact? What if we can ask Alexa, what would be the best way for me to get information on such and such? What would be the best way for me to demonstrate this information to my peers?

Any time I talk about AI, not just in the course but in a webinar or live in person, it is a gamut of people from all walks of everything. We get elementary, middle, and high school teachers. We get professors. We get people who are leading a tech company and developing a product; theyre asking, what can we do with our robots to incorporate AI?

We also get tech directors, a lot of administrators. Sometimes well get a superintendent of a school district. Sometimes, its a person whos not even in education who just wants to learn more about AI.

Web Only

Back to Top

See more here:
How Educators Can Use Artificial Intelligence as a Teaching Tool - Education Week

Getty

Last year, officials at the Montour school district in western Pennsylvania approached band director Cyndi Mancini with an idea: How about using artificial intelligence to teach music?

Mancini was skeptical.

As soon as I heard AI, I had this panic, she said. All I thought about were these crazy robots that can think for themselves.

There were no robots. Just a web application that uses AI to build original instrumental tracks from a library of prerecorded samples after a user selects a few parameters.

Equipped with Chromebooks, Mancinis students could program mood and genre, manipulate the tempo or key, mute sections, and switch instrument kits with a couple of clicks. And just like that, an original piece is produced instantly.

The AI programdesigned for use by anyone who needs cheap background tunes for media contentenabled Mancini to teach in ways not possible before: Students in an elective course who do not play instruments or read sheet music were now creating their own compositions. For the musically inclined students, Mancini said the software allowed for an even deeper fusion of computer and humantheyd create a track and play over it, combining AI-generated rhythms with live instrumentation.

For me, music is an emotional experience. I know what I put into my playing and teaching of music. For that emotion to come out of an algorithm, I couldn't wrap my head around it at first. How can a computer replicate that? she said. But it can. Im a convert.

While Montour is embracing AI technology with a full-blown bear hug, most school districts are notat least not yet. Some are dabbling with applications. Others arent using AI at all.

And still other educators cant say if their districts are using AI, oftentimes because theyre not familiar enough with the technology to recognize it.

Whether that changes with the nationwide distance learning experiment that happened this spring is still to be seen.

This much, however, is clear: School budgets are going to be devastated from the economic onslaught wrought by the virus, and strapped-for-cash districts could delay tech acquisitions other than the devices and hotspots students need to go online as they prioritize necessities. Still lingering are serious questions about privacy, data bias, and just how effective AI solutions are for education.

The 3,000-student Montour district, in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, is using AI inside and outside the classroom.

The district teaches courses focused on artificial intelligence, ranging from ethics to robotics. It partners with universities and technology companies working on the cutting edge of AI. Theres even a 4-foot tall autonomous robot, a boxy machine that looks like a filing cabinet on wheels, zooming around the hallways of its elementary school delivering packages.

And on the districts backend IT infrastructure, there are dashboards and programs powered by AI providing educators with real-time data about each student, producing metrics that monitor progress and even forecast future success.

When we come back to school next year after the coronavirus, were going to have data on every single kid from their remote learning experience, said Justin Aglio, the director of academic achievement and district innovation at Montour. Not your traditional A,B,C data, either.

Districts, already inundated with trying to keep up, might also shy away from AI tools in the immediate future while teachers and staff adjust to a new digital ecosystem already pushing the boundaries for many.

Its not even on our radar right now, said Andrew McDaniel, the principal of Southwood High School in central Indiana, when asked if hes considering incorporating some of the most basic forms of AI, such as Alexa voice devices, into classrooms. A lot of teachers are looking at what they know works now and sticking to that. Theyre not going to mess around with much that goes beyond that.

Increasingly, though, voice-activated devices such as Alexa, Siri, and Google Home are being used as teaching assistants in classes. Schools are turning to smart thermostats to save money on energy costs and using AI programs to monitor their computer networks. AI is helping districts identify students who are at risk of dropping out, and math tutors and automated essay-scoring systems that have been used for decades now feature more sophisticated AI software than they did in the past.

Until recently, though, most of those tools have relied on simpler AI algorithms that work on a basis of preset rules and conditions.

But a new age of AI-based ed-tech tools are emerging using machine-learning techniques to discover patterns and identify relationships that are not part of their original programming. These systems consistently learn from data collected every time theyre in use and more truly mirror human intelligence.

Ed-tech vendors are pitching advanced statistical AI tools as a way to provide greater personalized learning, tailoring curriculum to a students strengths and weaknesses. Researchers say it is unlikely advanced AI will transform K-12 education, but it can have a positive impact in areas like adaptive instruction, automated essay scoring and feedback, language learning, and online curriculum-recommendation engines.

Most of the startups pioneering education solutions with this type of AI arent yet in a position to offer their products on a mass scale in the United States. Thats because highly accurate advanced AI systems require access to massive data sets to populate and train the machine-learning algorithm to make reliable predictions. Those algorithms must also have access to high-quality data to avoid reinforcing racial, gender, and other biases.

Bill Salak, the chief technology officer for Brainly, an AI-based content generator and homework assistant that uses machine learning, said his company has traditionally worked directly with students, not districts. Now, however, Brainly is diving into more advanced statistical models for its AI to allow for even deeper personalization, and it is planning to eventually start creating products that could go into the classroom.

Salak said that all AI-based technology vendors face an uphill climb because school districts are consistently underfunded, and if theyre going to spend money on a tech tool, it has to be proven to be effective and contributing to academic goals.

The education systems prioritize things that will help them meet their goals, and not many outcomes relate to teaching with new tech, he said. Even if the teacher may see a huge amount of value in something, at the end of the day, that teacher has to have a certain percentage of their kids meeting certain competency standards.

April DeGennaro, a teacher in the gifted program at Peeples Elementary in Fayetteville, Ga., knows firsthand what its like for district administrators to buy into the idea of using AI-tech tools but not backing up that commitment with funding.

DeGennaro runs a lab where students focus on robotics, and her 4th graders use an AI-based robot called Cozmo. Shaped like a mini bulldozer that can fit in your palm, Cozmo uses facial recognition and a so-called emotion engine, allowing it to react to different situations with a humanlike personality by showing a range of emotions, from happy or sad to bored and grumpy. Because of COVID-19-related school closures, the AI robots currently arent being used.

But under normal circumstances, up to four students can use one of the robots at a time with an iPad, coding it to carry out different tasks. At $150 each, DeGennaro said the robots amount to a low-cost investment, but shes had to find her own funding for all seven Cozmo robots in her class.

DeGennaro raised money online, where she got parents to chip in to buy robots. Shes also made it clear to those that know her: For Christmas, for an end-of-the-year gift, or whenever you want to buy Mrs. D a present, buy a robot.

School districts may like things, DeGennaro said, but that doesnt mean they're going to fund them.

At the Saddle Mountain Unified School District in Arizona, a new policy allowing high school teachers to use Alexa or Google Home went into effect this year after a group of district officials and teachers walked through several STEM schools in the Phoenix area and saw the devices being used in classrooms.

Joel Wisser, the technology integration specialist for the 2,300-student district, said teachers walked away impressed, and several decided to incorporate the devices into their daily classroom activities. The district didnt pay for the devices, however. Instead, teachers had to bring their own, and Wisser said he doesnt expect that to change.

One history teacher uses his Alexa as a mini-assistant: reminding him when to return papers to students, answering student and teacher inquiries, providing a Jeopardy-style quiz game, or even playing music set from a time period the class is studying to add ambience to a lesson.

Its really just a personal assistant, a helper, for him. His eyesight is not great. He has a 46-inch computer monitor and hes not a fast typer, said Wisser. Being able to talk to a device is much more efficient for him, so hes not spending time at a keyboard typing in the words 'ancient Greek music.

Everyone didnt welcome the devices at first. The districts technology director, for one, was hesitant because the Alexa was going to be tapped into the districts network, and he wasnt going to have complete control over it, Wisser said.

The voice-activated speakers are also at the center of an ongoing privacy debate since they can record conversations. Wisser said there hadnt been any pushback from parents so far, and class conversations were not recorded.

Christina Gardner-McCune, the director of the Engaging Learning Labs at the University of Florida, said parents, students, and teachers have concerns about what kind of data an Alexa device is collecting in the classroom and what is it doing on the districts network while there. Even though the recording function on an Alexa can be turned off, Gardner-McCune said some districts dont want anything to do with them.

A lot of districts are not allowing those devices in the classroom even though they could have some educational purposes, said Gardner-McCune, who is also a steering committee co-chair of the AI for K-12 Initiative, a national working group of teachers and AI experts focused on jump-starting discussion on how to incorporate AI learning into school curricula.

It will take more time and use of AI devices and tech tools in classrooms before districts become increasingly comfortable with them on a larger scale, she said. And more research is needed showing the benefits of advanced AI systems before districts are willing to pony up for them: For major school districts, said Gardner-McCune, its going to come down to how does it affect test scores.

Back in the Montour district, band director and teacher Mancini said her apprehension about the AI music program vanished when she became familiar with the web application and realized there wasnt going to be a robot in the middle of my room. One of her favorite class exercises using the AI music program involved muting the background music on a movie cliplike the scene where the ship is sinking in Titanicand letting students rework the general vibe by adding their own music.

Music education has been so traditionally taught one way. We play instruments or sing or learn music theory. This is so far from traditional, and Im glad I did it because it was so much fun when I got into it, she said. As teachers, we just need to not be afraid of technology.

Web Only

Back to Top

Go here to see the original:
Artificial Intelligence in K-12: The Right Mix for Learning or a Bad Idea? - Education Week

Getty

Artificial intelligence technology can tell doctors when a scan reveals a tumor, can help the military distinguish between a truck and a school bus as a target, and can answer a high volume of college students questions.

Sectors of our economy such as the military, health care, and higher education are much further along than the K-12 system in incorporating artificial intelligence systems and machine learning into their operations. And many of those useseven when they are not specifically for educationcan spark ideas for applications in K-12 that may be more pertinent than ever imagined.

With the coronavirus upending traditional ways of delivering education, AI technologieswhich are designed to model human intelligence and solve complex problemsmay be able to help with logistical challenges such as busing and classroom social distancing, provide support to overwhelmed teachers, and glean new information about remote learning.

AI techniques and systems are like the internal combustion engineyou can use them to power a lot of different things, said David Danks, a professor of philosophy and psychology at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, who studies cognitive science, machine learning, and how AI affects people. The exact same thing can be used to predict whether someone has cancer, or whether students understand a concept, or to classify somebody as a bad guy you want to go after.

Of course, there are lots of potential trouble spots when thinking about the role of AI in K-12 education. Artificial intelligence learns from the data that are fed into it, and if that input includes bad data or data applied incorrectly, poor or biased decisions may result. At the same time, the use of AI in K-12 raises very serious data-privacy concerns because such technologies would likely be used to personalize education or make important decisions for individual students.

But even with those concerns, AI advocates say other sectors are already offering lessons learned for how the technologies could be used in K-12 for teaching and learning and the management of schools. That is especially the case with the military, health-care, and higher education fields.

Here is a look at what K-12 educators, policymakers, and planners could learn from those three sectors:

Nearly every military in the world believes that advances in AI will play a critical role in shaping the future of military power. But there are big disagreements about what is possible and what is wise.

SimulationsMilitary leaders are using AI simulations to assess military tactics and determine the likely outcome of strategic plans. Plugging different variables into these scenarioseverything from weather predictions to the timing of attacks and estimating troop numberscan show how outcomes might change. Also, soldiers can get important practice in simulated real-world settings with low risk.

> K-12 Applications: AI-powered simulations could be useful for planning purposes for everything from scheduling to determining the most effective models for social distancing when students return to their school buildings amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Some companies are already using simulations to train educators on successful techniques to help students with social-emotional learning, trauma, and mental-health issues.

MaintenanceTanks, airplanes, submarines, trucksall that military equipment needs to be maintained to keep troops safe and operations running smoothly. Some high-tech AI systems can predict when parts need replacing before they break or when systems need tuneup. Artificial intelligence has helped the military optimize in-flight refueling of jets to make the dangerous technique safer and more efficient.

> K-12 Applications: School districts also rely on a lot of equipmentthink buses, computers, air conditioning systems, and more. AI-powered smart programs are already being used in some schools to fine-tune building operations, lower energy costs, and manage maintenance and repairs.

LogisticsThe backbone of the military revolves around logistics and supply-chain management. How to get equipment and personnel from point A to point B most efficiently and cost effectively is something that AI systems are tackling for the military.

> K-12 Applications: The uses are widespread: AI systems could optimize scheduling, the distribution of laptops, cafeteria operations, and bus routes. In fact, the Boston school district has saved more than $5 million using a high-tech AI system that streamlined bus routes.

At its core, AI is really about using big data to be able to help predict what will happen so we can show up at the right time with the right solution.

ScanningArtificially intelligent technologies can analyze radiology and CT scans looking for abnormalities. Programs can quickly sift through images much faster than humans and identify patterns based on vast data. These techniques can identify tumors and health issues and suggest treatments, which are then reviewed by medical professionals.

> K-12 Applications: Programs powered by artificial intelligence could do a better job identifying student risk factors and recommending earlier and more targeted academic or mental-health interventions. The goal isnt to replace teacher decisions but to save teachers time and to amplify their own expertise. Using big data and AI to spot patterns might be applied to other situations, such as taking student temperatures to check for COVID-19 before they enter school buildings or being able to target outbreaks more quickly.

PersonalizationAccess to massive amounts of digital medical data and the use of AI to analyze it are making it easier to personalize medical treatments for patients. AI can predict how someones current health behaviors are likely to affect their future health outcomes. High-tech systems can design much more sophisticated drug and treatment strategies tailored to an individual patients biology or type of cancer, for example.

> K-12 Applications: Many education companies already talk about being able to help personalize the learning experience for students, but this is still just an emerging effort in most places. Some K-12 programs are using artificial intelligence to collect data on student behavior and academic engagement and then guide students through suggested individualized lessons. CENTURY Tech, a London-based company, for example, uses an AI platform that tracks student interactions and behavior patterns and academic performance to create personalized learning paths.

TrainingArtificial-intelligence-powered programs are being used to train medical professionals in many ways. AI company Kognito, for example, uses its health simulations to help doctors and nurses practice discussing and interacting with patients around sensitive topics like obesity, mental health, and suicide. Through conversations with virtual humans, medical practitioners can practice and model effective techniques.

> K-12 Applications: Kognito has a version of its product that is designed for educators, training them to lead conversations with students around social-emotional learning and mental health, using research-based language and techniques. An expanded version of this technology could be applied in other areas. About 15,000 K-12 schools currently have access to Kognito simulations.

Cost SavingsEarly medical intervention, making sure patients adhere to treatment, and supply-chain management are all ways that AI can affect the bottom line in various aspects of health care.

> K-12 Applications: The same goes for schools and districts. AI-powered programs could predict what supplies are needed and where with more accuracy, analyze budget trends, and identify spending patterns in areas ripe for savings, especially given that K-12 budgets are likely to be slashed significantly as the economy struggles through COVID-19.

Theres not an obvious wall between higher education and K-12 [around uses for AI].

Remote LearningWhat if teachers could have more information in real time about whether their students grasp concepts or are struggling when learning online? Whitehill is exploring the idea of an AI-based program that uses a video camera to take many small snapshots of students as they learn remotely to analyze their facial reactions. Such a program would provide teachers with real-time feedback on students cognitive and emotional states. (But that program is also just the kind of technological approach that would prompt intense criticism from student-data-privacy advocates.)

Virtual Teachers AssistantWhen Georgia Tech interactive-computing professor Ashok Goel was having a hard time answering all the questions coming from the hundreds of students in his online computer science class, he created an artificially intelligent tutor he dubbed Jill Watson. She was able to answer many of the students more routine questions, freeing up time for Goel to do higher-level work. Since that first experiment, Watson is now used in 17 online classes, Goel said, covering more than a thousand person-hours of work. Goel, who is also the chief scientist for C21U, a company developing innovative uses for AI, is now working to adapt Watson for high school and middle school teachers. And with remote learning, he believes the AI teaching assistant could also be used to help answer parents questions as they support students at home.

Essay GradingColleges and universities are already using this approach to some degree, and this latest version of that technology is moving into the K-12 education space. Automated AI essay graders have been around for some time, but the makers of the software say the AI features now available are much more sophisticated evaluators of student writing than what were available years ago. They can judge hundreds of features in a written piece, everything from spelling and grammar to sentence structure. (Lots of concerns remain that these programs can be biased, can fail to interpret creativity correctly, and can be gamed by students writing to the algorithm.) Though some states are using these types of programs to grade essays on their standardized state tests, theyre yet to be widely adopted on a district and school level.

Web Only

Back to Top

See the rest here:
What Soldiers, Doctors, and Professors Can Teach Us About Artificial Intelligence During COVID-19 - Education Week