LAUSD's new student advisor is an AI bot that designs academic plans, suggests books

The Los Angeles school district on Wednesday unveiled a much-awaited AI tool named "Ed" to serve as a new student adviser, programmed to tell its young users and their parents about grades, tests results and attendance — while giving out assignments, suggesting readings and even helping students cope with nonacademic matters.

With Ed's introduction, L.A. schools Supt. Alberto M. Carvalho sought to establish the nation's second-largest school system as a hub for innovation.

"This is a technology that becomes a personal assistant to students," Carvalho said at a demonstration at Roybal Leaning Center, west of downtown. "It demystifies the navigation of the day ... crunches the data in a way that it brings what students need."

Other school systems have pioneered similar platforms with chatbots — as educators try to better engage students and families to improve learning and attendance. But Ed takes such efforts to the highest level yet, said Joanna Smith-Griffin, chief executive of Boston-based AllHere, which has worked with districts across the country and won a $6-million contract over five years to guide the L.A. effort.

At its core, Ed is designed to give students immediate answers about where they stand, what they need to do to make progress — or, more immediately, find out when their bus will arrive. It stands as an example of AI that could help students learn — a contrast from the reality that some students have used AI to cheat or other malfeasance, several experts said.

Ben Chida, senior education advisor to Gov. Gavin Newsom, sees a prime example of innovation.

"We can either wait for 10 years and then have it happen to us and have tech companies decide the logic of how AI applies to education — and then have to untangle that like we did with social media — or we could take hold, take control of our fate and futures, and say: 'Look, how do we harness this technology in our way?'"

At a table set up with computers, 12th-grader Guadalupe Gaona asked the chatbot some questions.

"What are my grades?"

The program quickly responded with her grades in biology, government, dance, economics and modern lit. Her grades are strong and Ed added: "Keep up the good work!"

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