UK school employs AI chatbot for enhanced decision-making: reports

By EMILYANN JACKMAN – Oct 21, 2023

A version of this article was first published on TheStar

When they say AI is taking over jobs, they’re not kidding.

For example, a boarding prep school in the United Kingdom has named an AI robot as its “principal headteacher,” according to reports.

Paving the way is Cottesmore School, located in West Sussex, which collaborated with an artificial intelligence developer to design an AI robot named “Abigail Bailey” for the purpose of assisting the school’s headmaster, Tom Rogerson.

The robot works on the same principle as ChatGPT – the AI-powered language model by Open AI – where users type questions and they’re answered by the chatbot’s algorithms, NDTV reported.

“Abigail Bailey” was developed with an abundance of knowledge in machine learning and educational management, with an ability to process huge amounts of data.

Rogerson told The Telegraph he has been getting advice from the robot on issues like how to support staff and students, further saying the robot will help draft school policies, issue instructions to staff and help children with special needs.

“Sometimes having someone or something there to help you is a very calming influence. It’s nice to think that someone who is unbelievably well trained is there to help you make decisions,” he said to The Telegraph.

“It doesn’t mean you don’t ever also seek counsel from humans. Of course you do,” Rogerson said to the publication, emphasizing the move is in no way designed to undermine human judgment. “It’s just very calming and reassuring knowing that you don’t have to call anybody up, bother someone, you don’t have to wait around for an answer.”

“Being a school leader, a headmaster, is a very lonely job. Of course, we have head teacher’s groups, but just having somebody or something on tap that can help you in this lonely place is very reassuring,” he added.

But not to worry, the robot will not replace the teachers at the school, Deccan Herald reported.

“We are stepping into the future while preserving the core values of traditional education. The introduction of AI is not about replacing our dedicated educators but about augmenting their capabilities and ensuring our students receive the best education possible,” Rogerson told the publication. – pennlive.com/Tribune News Service