There's a new teacher at Harvard University, and it's AI-powered

An Ivy League university will be swapping teachers for an AI chatbot this fall to take coding class lessons, making its dive into the uncharted world of Artificial Intelligence that has expanded substantially in recent months. The educational institution in question is Harvard University, which recently unveiled its plans to introduce chatbots for teaching students. 

Professor David Malan, the course’s overseer, describes the move as an “evolution” of “tradition”. The bot will assist students with detecting errors, answering queries and providing constructive feedback. “Our own hope is that, through AI, we can eventually approximate a 1:1 teacher: student ratio for every student in CS50, as by providing them with software-based tools that, 24/7, can support their learning at a pace and in a style that works best for them individually,” he said. 

In case of further assistance, human staffers will be able to review the solutions provided by the bot. The education sector venturing into AI is exciting for many, but for some, it brings a string of concerns. Some fear that increased use of AI-powered technology could make students less efficient and more dependent on technology. 

PactumAI CEO weighs in

Lately, many students have already incorporated ChatGPT to complete class assignments at Harvard. “I would say the dangers are that we have to consider that these are statistical models. These will come up with the most probable answers and high probability can also mean mediocrity," said Martin Rand, the co-founder and CEO of PactumAI.

"So professors need to be there to provide exceptionalism, and I think Harvard has taken the right approach in providing this only to introductory courses,” he added. Nonetheless, Rand acknowledged that development can “create growth” and open floodgates of opportunities in innovation and education.