Cottesmore is an academic boarding school for boys and girls.
Artificial intelligence is taking over many jobs by automating tasks that were once done by humans. This happens in several industries, including manufacturing, customer service, healthcare and transportation. In a surprising move, a prep school in Britain has appointed an AI robot its ‘head teacher’. Cottesmore School, based in West Sussex, worked with an artificial intelligence developer to design Abigail Bailey, the robot, with the aim of helping the school’s principal.
Tom Rogerson, director of Cottesmore, told the story The Telegraph that he uses the robot to give him advice on matters ranging from supporting fellow staff members to helping students with ADHD and writing school policy. The technology works in a similar way to ChatGPT, the online AI service where users type questions and they are answered by the chatbot’s algorithms.
Mr Rogerson said the AI principle was developed to have a wealth of knowledge in machine learning and education management, with the ability to analyze large amounts of data.
He told The Telegraph: “Sometimes it is very soothing to have someone or something helping you.
“It’s nice to think that there is someone who is incredibly well trained and helps you make decisions.
‘That doesn’t mean you don’t also ask people for advice. Of course you do. It’s just very soothing and reassuring to know that you don’t have to call, bother or wait for anyone to answer.”
He added: “Being a school leader, a principal, is a very lonely job. Of course we have school leadership groups, but it’s very reassuring to have someone or something on tap to help you in this lonely place.”
The Cottesmore school charges tuition fees of nearly 32,000 pounds (Rs 32,48,121) per year for British students.
The school, which has received accolades such as Tatler’s “Prep School of the Year”, is a boarding school for boys and girls aged between four and thirteen.
