Georgia Tech professors turn to AI tutors and rethink traditional assignments

This week, Georgia Tech is welcoming its incoming freshman class to campus. The university is known for its computer science, engineering and other STEM programs.

But artificial intelligence is changing those industries — and how Georgia Tech approaches its curriculum.

AI is not only changing the job market. It is also changing how professors plan their lessons.

David Joyner, Georgia Tech's interim vice provost for AI in education, said nearly 15,000 students are majoring in or minoring in AI-related fields, including computer science.

Joyner said Georgia Tech recognizes that AI is changing STEM industries. He explained how professors are incorporating the technology into their classes.

"Some of them are they're building their own AI agents that are serving as tutors for classes. We also have plenty of faculty who are reacting to it by saying, 'OK, it's no longer sufficient for me to say, "Deliver a 10-page essay on this topic." Instead, come to class and we'll have a discussion,'" Joyner said.

Joyner said AI can also help students complete some tasks more quickly.

"They're aware that the old model of go to college for four years and then have a 40-year career — that's been dead for a while. The role that AI plays is giving us a new tool to help us go through a process faster. It means that we're not going to spend some time formulating idea, spend three weeks building our software, and then encounter the next big challenge. We're going to formulate the idea, have AI help us write the software," Joyner said.