- HKUST pioneers Asia’s first “AI Educators” program, leveraging AI-generative tools.
- Ten diverse digital instructors join HKUST faculty, enhancing student engagement and motivation.
- Led by Prof. Pan HUI, the research team employs state-of-the-art AI tools for character development.
- AI instructors teach “Social Media for Creatives” course, covering storytelling, gamification, NFTs, and more.
- The diverse cast of AI characters enriches the classroom experience, including a resurrected Albert Einstein.
- Student feedback guides ongoing improvements, aiming for deeper interactions and personalized avatars.
Main AI News:
Amidst the proliferation of “AI vocalists” and “AI meteorologists,” the integration of AI (Artificial Intelligence) expands further with the debut of the inaugural cadre of “AI Educators” by The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), leveraging AI-generative technologies.
The innovative technology has facilitated the induction of ten digital educators, representing diverse nationalities, professions, and cultural backgrounds, into the faculty at HKUST. The university envisions this progressive cadre of AI instructors and their dynamic pedagogical approach as pivotal in enhancing student motivation and engagement, ushering in a new era of educational innovation.
Under the guidance of Prof. Pan HUI, Chair Professor of Computational Media and Arts at HKUST(Guangzhou), and Director of the Center for Metaverse and Computational Creativity (MC2) at HKUST, the research team has engineered these ten AI instructors employing a suite of AI tools. Notably, the team’s groundbreaking variational 3D full-body generator surpasses conventional tools, enriching characters’ movements and facial expressions for an immersive learning milieu. Complementary AI tools include the prompt-based AI image generator “Midjourney,” the chatbot “ChatGPT,” “Bing,” an open-source audio-driven image talking face animation generator “SadTalker,” and an enhanced iteration of the open-source 3D facial animation tool “EmoTalk.”
This semester, the university has entrusted these educators with instructing segments of “Social Media for Creatives,” a cross-campus course accessible to students from HKUST and HKUST(GZ). Their curriculum spans diverse facets of social media, encompassing storytelling, gamification, immersive technologies, Non-Fungible Token (NFT), nudge theory, and the socio-cultural impacts of social media, aiming to equip students with multimedia and technological prowess for research.
To invigorate student engagement, the AI teaching cohort incorporates a multifarious array of characters, each endowed with distinct nationalities, personalities, and professional backgrounds, including influencers, policy advocates, and iconic figures like Albert Einstein, digitally resurrected. This diverse ensemble transcends cultural boundaries, enriching the educational experience.
In assessing the efficacy of “AI Educators,” the team diligently collects student feedback, scrutinizing elements such as character attributes, communication styles, and visual effects. Future endeavors include integrating interactive features leveraging Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) to facilitate deeper student interactions and refining personalized teacher avatars. Prof. HUI emphasizes, “AI heralds boundless opportunities in education, igniting curiosity and facilitating transformative pedagogy.”
Conclusion:
HKUST’s introduction of “AI Educators” signifies a significant leap in educational innovation, leveraging AI to enrich student experiences and foster deeper engagement. This initiative underscores the growing integration of AI in academia, signaling potential shifts in traditional teaching paradigms and paving the way for personalized, immersive learning environments in the market. Businesses in education technology (EdTech) and AI development may find new opportunities in catering to the evolving needs of educational institutions embracing AI-driven pedagogy.
