Well, it was only a matter of time before this happened. As the nation debates the role of artificial intelligence in everyday life, some have discussed how the technology might be used in the education system.
Chicago is set to get its first AI-driven private school this fall. Alpha School will open its doors inside the former GEMS World Academy building, CBS Chicago reported.
The campus will serve students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade and will replace traditional human teachers with artificial intelligence software to teach core academic instruction.
An AI school sounds like students are learning from robots, there are no teachers, and kids stare at computers all day. That's not exactly how it works.
The curriculum is unique. Each child is assigned a "guide" instead of a teacher. The kids learn from AI for one to two hours a day on a computer, learning core subjects like science, math, and reading. When screen time is over, the guides lead the children in workshops from public speaking to coding to outdoor education.
"We are using the same curriculum that students in the classroom are learning from. This is not ChatGPT coming up with made-up questions," said founder Mackenzie Price.
Price said their AI system can precisely assess what a student knows and doesn't know. She said that's good for basic learning, their guides teach students the rest, and they are paid well with six-figure salaries.
"Teachers are not going to be replaced. They are the most important part of making a model work, and they are the reason that our model is so successful," Price said.
BREAKING: An AI-powered school is opening in Chicago this year where kids learn math, science, and reading from an AI.
— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) April 1, 2026
Tuition costs $55,000 a YEAR. pic.twitter.com/LzYiHRmWE4
Alpha School is part of a national network launched in Austin, TX, in 2014 that operates roughly two dozen campuses and enrolls more than 1,000 students across the country.
Human guides will supervise students, provide motivation, and lead the rest of the school day, which consists of workshops on public speaking, coding, financial literacy, leadership, and physical activity.
The AI software was developed in a collaboration with licensed platforms like Khan Academy and adapts to each student’s learning pace. Alpha School says its students tend to score in the 99th percentile on the Northwest Evaluation Association MAP Growth tests.
The Alpha School will open with room for about 100 students with a tuition of $55,000 per year. CBS Chicago reported that 35 families expressed interest in the new school.
Many are enthusiastic about the new school, but some are concerned that it will replace human teachers. Northwestern University’s Liz Gerber pointed out that this approach is “really not that new” and that “What’s concerning to me is it’s not going to be available to everybody, it’s just not scalable.”
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