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- AI Tutoring Helps Students Gain Two Years of Learning in Six Weeks 🧠
AI Tutoring Helps Students Gain Two Years of Learning in Six Weeks 🧠
Bob McGrew: AI Agents And The Path To AGI
Gina Acosta
February 08, 2025
In partnership with
Welcome to another edition of Horizon AI,
A recent pilot project in Nigeria has provided a glimpse of AI's potential to significantly accelerate student learning.
Let’s jump right in!
Read Time: 3.5’ min
Here's what's new today in the Horizon AI
Chart of the week: Big Tech's AI Spending 💰
AI-Based Teaching Delivers Two Years of Learning in Six Weeks in Nigeria
Free Resources
AI tools to check out
Video of the week
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Chart of the week
Big Tech's AI Spending 💰
Big Tech is doubling down on AI, planning record-breaking investments this year.
Meta is nearly doubling its spend, Microsoft is increasing from $56B to $80B, Alphabet is committing $75B, and Amazon is leading with $105B.
In total, the Big Four plan to invest $325B in AI this year, a 46% jump from last year.
AI News
AI RESEARCH
AI-Based Teaching Delivers Two Years of Learning in Six Weeks in Nigeria
A pilot program in Nigeria's Edo State has shown how AI tutoring, combined with teacher support, can dramatically accelerate learning for students.
Details:
In a six-week pilot in Nigeria, students used Microsoft Copilot twice a week as a virtual tutor to improve English and digital skills, with teachers providing support and writing tasks.
After completing the program, students' test scores improved significantly compared to the control group—equivalent to nearly two years of additional learning.
Girls, who previously performed lower than boys, showed particularly large progress during the program, effectively closing the performance gap.
Many participants were first-time computer users, learning basic skills while also engaging with the AI tutoring system.
The researchers clarify that the project was limited in time and scope, and teacher involvement likely played a crucial role in its success, highlighting the need for further research to draw more definitive conclusions.
Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman sees the results as evidence that AI can help democratize education and create new opportunities. However, some research also points to AI's potential negative effects on students, making it clear that AI in education presents both promise and pitfalls. The challenge lies in finding the best way to implement the technology.
Resources
👉 How I use LLMs as a staff engineer
🤔 Bill Gates on AI and Innovation
👀 How AI is impacting graphic design
AI Tools to check out
⭐ Replit: Turn your ideas into apps in minutes with AI.
✍️ Tana: Put your notes to work with voice and AI.
🔍 ZeroPath: AI security platform that scans your code for security issues like a pentester, from auth issues to exposed secrets.
🍓 Jam AI: AI that writes bug reports + repro steps for you.
📽 Reap: Transform long videos into viral social shorts with AI.
Video of the week
Bob McGrew: AI Agents And The Path To AGI
Bob McGrew shares lessons learned from his time at OpenAI and insights into the evolution of AI research at the company, highlighting key milestones like the development of GPT models and the importance of scaling in AI progress.
He also discusses the future of work, AI’s role in fields like robotics and scientific discovery, while sharing insights for aspiring startups.
That’s a wrap!
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Gina 👩🏻💻