INFO’s Katie Shilton emphasizes AI tutors’ promise without replacing human teaching
Photo licensed by Adobe Stock via Ekaterina
In GBH’s article “With AI common on campus, some educators are leaning in,” Harvard lecturer Greg Kestin’s custom tutor, TeachGPT, illustrates how generative AI can support student learning while sparking debate about its role in education. As Gen AI reshapes higher ed, professors are experimenting with custom tools to enhance courses. TeachGPT, built on course-specific materials, has shown in early studies that it helps students grasp concepts more quickly and feel more engaged.
Katie Shilton, professor at the University of Maryland’s College of Information, sees both promise and limits in this approach. She highlights the potential for AI tutors to give students confidence, allowing them to ask questions they might otherwise hesitate to raise in class. Importantly, Shilton stresses that while individualized AI tutoring is scalable across schools and colleges, it will never replace the depth of human teaching and classroom interaction.
For more on how AI tutors are being tested in higher education, read the full article here.
The original article was written by Kirk Carapezza and published by GBH News on September 2, 2025.