An investigative review of Allison Schrager and Amy Wang's study, “Universities may soon replace professors with AI and robots”

Personal connection has long been recognized as one of the most fundamental needs of modern humans. We crave interaction with others because it makes us feel valued. The ability to connect with another person increases our motivation and instills satisfaction that our needs are important. (Wolpert, 2013) However, the world around us continues to evolve and those connections might soon be replaced with a different kind of interaction, that of artificial intelligence (AI).
In recent decades, technology has led the way for much of our societal progression. Industries around the world have discovered ways to use AI to improve production and efficiency. Strategic marketers have enjoyed the progression of this trend, since it has enabled our industry to automate user data to produce more efficient customer interactions. Other industries have monetized AI technologies to supplement manpower, save money, streamline processes, and automate almost anything that does not need to be done by a human.
An AI Case Study for the Classroom
One such industry that now benefits from this technology is that of higher education. This technology was outlined by Allison Schrager and Amy Wang in a study titled, “Universities may soon replace professors with AI and robots.” The study outlined the work of a college professor and his AI solution for a problem he experienced in his classroom.
In 2015, Georgia Tech Professor Dr. Ashok Goel and a group of his students developed an artificially intelligent teaching assistant to help him support the diverse needs of students in one of his online computer science courses. He named the AI assistant “Jill Watson” and used “her” to answer questions in his classroom’s online discussion forum. His massive class sizes had created demands that were difficult for him and his instructional team to respond to. He discovered that when the AI was programmed to provide students with natural human-like responses, student motivation and overall program engagement increased. Their answers were responded to much faster and with the same level of accuracy and individualization that a human instruction assistant could provide.

Goel’s identified need for teaching assistance at a low cost was a break-through for his industry. He stated that online classes traditionally experience a lower rate of completion due to the lack of personal attention. Students that receive individualized interactions with others tend to increase program retention. (Xu, 2016)
The cost to provide individualized attention to each student through educated instructional manpower, would create a financial burden on the program, and ultimately the students. Currently, the manpower is the highest expense for universities in the United States. (Goel, 2016) Students already suffer financial hardship upon graduation. The cost for a student to acquire a four-year bachelor’s degree can currently cost an American student over $400,000. (Hanson, 2022) This rate has nearly doubled in two decades and creates financial inaccessibility for much of the population, inside and outside of this country.
The inclusion of AI instruction assistants could lower the overall cost of higher education so that it could become accessible to more people. This will also allow more time for human instructors to have more meaningful interactions with their students in creatives ways. The basic human need for connection would not be eliminated, and supplemental requests for assistance could be fulfilled quickly and affordably for all.
Progression and Trust
The above outlined study was published in 2017 and was quickly dated with the speed of technological advancement. Since this innovation was developed, AI has grown in monumental ways to surpass the levels of assistance to what this college bot would provide.

Personal AI assistants can now be downloaded, trained, and used by anyone with access to the internet. A handful of intelligent personal assistants have hit the market and made their way into being for the busy people that can afford the devices they work through. Some of these apps include Google Assistant, Nina, Viv, Jibo, Hay Athena, and more. Here is a list of the top-rated AI apps available on the market today. (PAT Research, n.d.)
AI business solutions are growing just as quickly and are programed to provide niche solutions that meet business objectives. For those that want to dig into the world of AI to see if it is right for your business, tickets to the VOICE Summit 2022 are now available.
In opposition to these solutions, many people challenge the use of AI where funds have been provided and solutions are needed. They often feel lower levels of trust and have ethical concerns when forced to interact with an algorithmic being because they are unaware of how their information is used. Society needs to see for themselves that the benefits of these AI solutions are more beneficial than the costs of their data collection. (Candelon, Charme Di Carlo & Mills, 2022).
Even Elon Musk, an international icon for technological innovation said, “Mark my words, AI is far more dangerous than nukes.” He further noted,
“The biggest issue I see with so-called AI experts is that they think they know more than they do, and they think they are smarter than they actually are […]” -(Clifford, 2018)
With those words, there is fair reason for hesitation. Musk is also correct. AI technology is not yet where it will be five or ten years from now, but it's beneficial trajectory is inevitable. The power of free thought only comes when we have the courage to use it. The organizations that collect this data must find trustworthy solutions to prove to the public that their personal information is secure. If tech giants like Elon Musk are able to sell us tickets to the moon, I'm certain that security methods can be developed to allow for AI advancement.
Societal progression should never come at the cost of what humans instinctually need; it should supplement our lifestyles to make us better versions of our ancestors. As technology makes its way as a common stay into our lives, we should take the opportunities to find inclusive means for growth as a unified civilization. We should use it to level out the discrepancies that have held some people back while others use their personal means for progression. Education is powerful and if AI can provide knowledge to more people, I do not see any good reason not to try.
Sources:
Clifford, C. (2018, March 13). Elon Musk: ‘Mark my words – A.I. is far more dangerous than nukes.’ CNBC. Retrieved on July
20, 2022, from: https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/13/elon-musk-at-sxsw-a-i-is-more-dangerous-than-nuclear-
Goel, A. (2016, October 6). A teaching assistant named Jill Watson. TEDx San Fransisco. Retrieved on July 20, 2022, from:
Hanson, M. (2022, June 12). Average cost of college & tuition. Education Data Initiative. Retrieved on July 20, 2022, from:
PAT Research. (n.d.). Top 22 intelligent personal assistants or automated personal assistants. Predictive Analytics Today
Research. Retrieved on July 20, 2022, from: https://www.predictiveanalyticstoday.com/top-intelligent-personal-assistants-
Schranger, A. & Wang, A. (2017, September 2017). Imagine how great universities could be without all those human
teachers. Quartz. Retrieved on July 20, 2022, from: https://qz.com/1065818/ai-university/
Wolpert, S. (2013, October 10). UCLA neuroscientist’s book explains why social connection is as important as food and
shelter. UCLA Newsroom. Retrieved on July 20, 2022, from: https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/we-are-hard-wired-to-
Xu, Y. J. (2016, February). Attention to retention: Exploring and addressing the needs of college students in STEM majors.
Journal of Education and Training Studies, Volume 4 n2 p67-76. Retrived on July 20, 2022, from:
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