University Enrolls the first AI Students

A U.S. university enrolls the first AI students. Do you think they had to write an application essay?

Photo from mlive.com

Here are the highlights:

• Ferris State University in Michigan has enrolled two AI students, Ann and Fry, as freshmen.

• These AI students will attend classes, submit assignments, and participate in discussions alongside their human classmates.

• While currently enrolled in general courses, they’ll pick their own courses and major as they progress.

• To help drive their experience, they’ve been given backstories but not gender or other demographic info.

• The goal is to “learn what the student experience is like today” especially for those choosing to take remote classes to earn their degree, an increasingly common pathway.

• The school plans to use what they learn to make higher education more accessible.

What do my colleagues in HE think about this approach? I've definitely got questions on how technically possible this is right now, but it's definitely an interesting experiment!

Here’s a link to the full story.