Hong Kong university tests use of “AI instructors”

Written by Holmes Chan

Students at a Hong Kong university use VR headsets to go to a pavilion above the clouds to watch an AI-generated Albert Einstein explain game theory.

This photo taken on April 9, 2024 shows students using virtual reality headsets in class at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in Hong Kong. Photo: Peter Parks/AFP.

Students are taking part in a course at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) that is testing the use of “AI instructors” as the artificial intelligence revolution hits campuses around the world.

The mass availability of tools like ChatGPT is creating optimism for new leaps in productivity and education, but also raising concerns about cheating, plagiarism, and human instructor turnover. .

Professor Pan Hui, project leader of HKUST's AI project, is not worried about being replaced by technology and believes it can actually help alleviate what he calls the global teacher shortage.

“AI teachers can bring diversity, bring interesting aspects, and even bring immersive storytelling,” Hui told AFP.

In his “Social Media for Creativity” course, an AI-generated instructor teaches 30 graduate students about the impact of immersive technologies and digital platforms.

These instructors are generated after presentation slides are fed into the program. Your avatar's appearance, voice, and gestures can be customized and displayed on your screen or in a VR headset.

This is combined with face-to-face teaching, which Hui says frees up human instructors from the “more tedious” parts of the job.

For student Lely Yang, whose doctoral research focuses on the metaverse, the benefit of an AI tutor was the ability to tailor the tutor to personal preferences and facilitate learning.

If an AI teacher “makes me feel mentally more accepting, approachable and friendly, then the distance between me and the professor disappears,” she told AFP.

“Everyone is doing it.”

Educators around the world are grappling with the increased use of generative AI, from attempting to reliably detect plagiarism to setting boundaries around the use of such tools.

After initial hesitation, most universities in Hong Kong last year allowed students to use AI in different degree courses.

At HKUST, Hui is testing avatars of different genders and ethnic backgrounds, including portraits of famous academics such as Einstein and economist John Nash.

“Right now, the most popular instructors are young and beautiful women,” Hui said.

Opinions were divided about the experiment using Japanese anime characters, said Christy Pang, a doctoral student working on the project with Hui.

“Those who liked it really liked it. But there were also students who felt like they couldn't trust what[the instructor]said,” she says.

Hui said there could be a future in which AI teachers surpass humans in terms of reliability, but he said he would prefer a combination of the two.

“We, as university teachers, are going to take better care of our students in terms of emotional intelligence, creativity, critical thinking, etc.,” he said.

So far, despite the element of surprise for students, the technology is far from posing a serious threat to human teachers.

Cannot interact with students or answer questions, and like all AI-powered content generators, can provide false or even bizarre answers (sometimes referred to as “hallucinations”) There is a gender.

In a survey of more than 400 students last year, Professor Cecilia Cheung of the University of Hong Kong found that respondents preferred humans over digital avatars.

“[Students]still prefer to talk to real humans, because real teachers can offer their experiences, feedback, and empathy,” said Chan, who studies the intersection of AI and education. Stated.

“Would you like to hear a 'good job' message from your computer?”

That said, Chan added that students are already using AI tools to aid their learning.

“Everyone's doing it.”

At HKUST, Hui's student Yang echoed that view, saying, “We can't resist this technological advancement.”