Ferris State University in Michigan intends to enroll two artificial intelligence (AI) students in classes this year.
According to a report from local news source MLive, this open-ended experiment could end up producing the first machine learning agents to earn a degree via classroom education.
Classroom insights
Ferris State associate professor Kasey Thompson, the lead researcher on the AI student experiment, told MLive that the machines would be given the same opportunities as their human counterparts:
“Like any student, our hope is that they continue their educational experience all the way up as far as they can go, through their PhD."
While this might sound like a publicity stunt, there are several reasons why such an experiment could have potentially significant implications for the fields of AI and education.
With more college courses held as hybrid online/in-person classroom experiences, the dynamics of university life are swiftly changing. While surveying human students and studying their experiences can yield useful information for researchers, an AI “student” could bring a distinct perspective — albeit a non-human one — which could reveal opportunities to improve the college-going experience for human students.
Artificial intelligence goes to campus
The experiment won’t involve any robots or telepresence mechanisms. The AI systems will instead “observe” the class via audio and video.
At first, according to the report, they’ll merely be observers. But the plan is for them to eventually participate in classroom discussions, turn in written assignments, and ostensibly meet any other standard requirements for students on the way to earning their respective degrees.
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Thompson told MLive the university hoped to glean useful data which could be used to “impact every aspect of the university, from admissions to registration,” implying the machines would be tasked with participating in the University’s onboarding process.