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Ask HN: Do AI powered teachers exist?

10 points by adversaryIdiot ↗ HN
Just like how GPT3 can simplify text, are there any ai powered applications that can meaningfully teach users specific subjects in layman terms and even answer complex questions about these subjects?

Imagine the possibilities of an AI powered instructor in something like virtual reality that can provide personalized education.

17 comments

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0x0000000
Jill Watson was developed at GaTech to support their OMSCS program, though I haven't heard any updates in a while.

https://pe.gatech.edu/blog/meet-jill-watson-georgia-techs-fi...

IIRC from my EdTech course, work is being done in this area but nothing to my knowledge at the "personalized instructor" level you're asking about here, with being able to explain concepts in simple terms and answer complex questions, but my experience predates GPT3 and the like.

karmakurtisaani
Maybe not what you're after, but there are AIs that can analyse your chess games and tell you why you suck.
qrian
I work in a relevant field. AI powered personalized instructor was always around the corner like how autonomous car was around the corner since 2016. And we understand less about ‘understanding’ than driving cars.
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endisneigh
An AI that could teach you anything would need to be generally intelligent.
dmitrygr
There is a book on the topic: Diamond Age. Well worth a read.

In reality, we're nowhere near there.

jdlshore
Also, one of the themes of the book is how different the outcomes are for Nell, who had a real narrator, and the children who had an artificial narrator. (Although the content was AI-generated in both cases.)

But I agree, it’s a great book. One of my favorites.

armchairhacker
What benefit is there for a personalized AI teacher, vs a set of good-quality online resources and an active QA board?
adversaryIdiot
ive never gotten into the habit of posting on any kind of board because usually "stupid" questions get deleted or flamed :S. Thus, i just read the online resources like you suggested and writhe in frustration of hard to answer questions. you know?
throwaway675309
So you're missing a huge issue with something like this.

Most other AI guided systems (which are basically all offshoots of large language models in some way) are used as tools by people who are already familiar with the subject matter at the AI manipulates, which means that they can essentially fact check it.

Using the AI as a teacher implies that you are a student with virtually little to no understanding of the subject matter, which means you have no way to sanity check if the AI messes up and gives you incorrect information. You could end up with a deeply flawed understanding of the actual domain you wish to become an expert in.

ComplexSystems
This is just as much of an issue with real teachers.
8n4vidtmkvmk
real teachers you can question and determine if they're talking out of their asses or actually know. AIs will lie
anddt
This, given the current state of things I belive that AI can be used, at most, as a more engaging/interactive piece of material to be used with the supervision of an actual teacher. The conversation that a student might have with GPT3 model will be coherent most of the time (and probably factually correct as well) but supervision from a teacher will always be needed to catch those cases where incorrect info is returned by the model.

I still believe that a bunch of AI-enabled edtech tools will bloom out in the foreseeable future, just nowhere near anything usable by the student withouth supervision.

anon2020dot00
Open AI Da Vinci playground is the closest there is at the moment