The recent paper “Pedagogical Agents: Back to the Future” by Dr. Lewis Johnson of Alelo Inc. and Professor James Lester of North Carolina State University reviews the history and likely future of pedagogical agents, which are autonomous, interactive computer-based characters that engage in rich, face-to-face interactions with learners.

Education and training is one industry where AI is starting to play important roles. What impact will AI have on education and training in the future? Will teachers be replaced by algorithms? Or is AI going to empower both learners and teachers?

To provide insight into the promise and potential of this new technology, Alelo offers a webinar series on the Future of AI in Education. We will look at the impact of AI on the experience of learners and teachers, the education and training industry, and the global economy. Seminar speakers will include Alelo experts as well as other thought leaders in the global community of artificial intelligence in education.

As artificial intelligence (AI) develops, it is playing an increasing very important role in education. For example, AI-based solutions allow schools to embrace personalized learning, and publishers to roll out adaptive learning platforms. Some futurists have gone so far as to claim that intelligent machines will replace teachers within 10 years. Not surprisingly, this causes concern among educators. But, should teachers really be worried?

If you are a teacher of English to speakers of other languages, you know how important it is for your students to practice speaking. The more they practice in authentic situations, the more confidence they will gain, and the more fluent they will become. Unfortunately this is not practical in the classroom, particularly in large classes. Even in classrooms with low student-teacher ratios, it is not feasible for a teacher to provide one-on-one practice with each student, much less provide personalized feedback.

What is it that learners want to be able to do with the language that they are learning? They want to communicate effectively with native speakers in common situations they may encounter. So language-learning technology should help learners progress toward that goal. Artificial intelligence and personalized learning are helping people to quickly develop useful language skills.

One of the best ways to learn a language is to practice with native speakers. Research shows that immersion is more effective than conventional classroom instruction for developing proficiency. Yet many people around the world get few opportunities to practice with native speakers.

Alelo’s CEO and co-founder Dr. Lewis Johnson spoke this week at Stanford University’s mediaX symposium on Innovation Ecosystems for AI-Based Education, Training, and Learning. Dr. Johnson offered insights on the topic of cloud-based cognitive services and their role in accelerating the development of AI-based learning products and digital ecosystems.

Alelo’s Enskill platform is designed to support the development and improvement of learning content using machine learning. Enskill continually collects data from learners around the world, which make possible an innovative data-driven approach to the development of learning products.