Intel’s Face-Reading AI can identify students that are bored, distracted, or confused in an online class. The new AI implementation will help teachers check the retention levels of students. Intel wants to integrate this into Zoom meets to identify the engagement levels of students in a class.
What is Intel’s Face-Reading AI?
Intel’s Face-Reading Artificial intelligence is a collaboration between Intel and ClassRoom Technologies. The latter sells a virtual school software called Class, which automates repetitive tasks for teachers. Intel came up with Face-Reading tech that can identify whether students are bored or not. The AI accomplishes it using students’ facial expressions to quantify if they are bored, distracted, or confused.
ClassRoom Technologies wishes to integrate Intel’s Face-Reading AI into its software and reduce the burden on teachers. Its software already handles much of the grunt work, allowing teachers to focus more on students. However, this feature will offer real-time insights into the engagement levels of students in a class. Moreover, the teacher will be able to know more about students without asking them one by one.
Concerns about this new AI Tech
Intel’s Face-Reading AI may offer better insights into student engagement, but that doesn’t mean it is on point. Critics claim it is next to impossible to understand engagement levels based on facial expressions alone. Human beings project hundreds of expressions unique to them, and the face-reading AI may not spot all of them. Thus, the accuracy of this proposed software idea is in question.
The following argument is the privacy-invasive nature of such technology that will impose on students. Students may be shy or not in a position to turn on the camera during online classes. Many students are conscious of displaying their homes and lifestyle in video classes.
Some teachers feel it is morally reprehensive to include such a feature in virtual classrooms. They are worried if it will impact the periodic performance evaluation of teachers.
Nevertheless, Intel’s Face-Reading AI is in the testing phase among an isolated group of students and training faculty. The initial response of teachers is very good, as per Intel’s claims. It will be interesting to see how engagement tech using AI shapes the ed-tech community. Alas! You won’t be able to sleep during online classes in the future.
