Education Secretary touts AI tutoring at Alpha School despite internal criticism
Education Secretary Linda McMahon praised AI-driven lessons at Alpha School, while internal documents reveal the program may be confusing and inaccurate.
Linda McMahon, the Education Secretary, defended artificial-intelligence tutoring during a televised interview, citing Alpha School in Austin, Texas, where AI runs the first two hours of each school day. She called the technology an "additional tutor" that delivers one-on-one instruction. Yet one outlet's investigation uncovered internal documents indicating the AI-generated lessons often produce multiple-choice questions with illogical options and flawed justifications, failing to meet SAT standards.
Former employees reported that students were used as experimental subjects and entered advanced courses without solid foundations. The school also records video of learners and makes the files available via a shared Google Drive link. Critics, including a Stanford education professor, argue the lack of independent oversight suggests the program may be hiding shortcomings.
