British boarding school Cottesmore has appointed Abigail Bailey as its new headmistress. The special thing about Bailey is that it is not a human but a chatbot based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology.
Jamie Rayner has also been hired by the school to be the head of AI technology.
Jamie himself is an AI-based chatbot. The use of AI in UK schools is growing rapidly, with one in three teachers doing much of their work with the help of AI.
However, for the first time, chatbots are being directly employed in those big positions that were previously held by humans. As principal, Bailey will work with students using deep learning and generative AI technologies. His job is to manage school-related activities, for which he is programmed with expert knowledge. He will improve his work by learning new things himself.
Cottesmore head teacher Tom Rogerson said Bailey could be his partner at the school. From formulating education policies to helping children with special needs, she will support them as they work. “It’s nice to think that now she doesn’t have to ask others for work or wait for their response,” she said.
The school said Jamie was hired as the head of AI when it couldn’t find a human capable of doing the job. A large number of applications came in, but they needed someone with expertise in AI to provide technical support, prepare lessons for children, and help plan co-scholastic activities and events.
School students have been given AI-based personal assistants, helping them study according to their study style. Rogerson claims that as technology is changing the world, schools are also facing future changes. However, the traditional values of education have also been preserved during this period.
By 2023, one in three UK teachers have started using AI technology to reduce their workload. Teachers are using AI technology to prepare lessons for class, write reports, respond to emails, and copy others’ articles into their work. Seeing this, many educationists are claiming that by 2027 there will be no need for teachers in most of the schools.