School appoints AI chatbot as its new 'headteacher' in UK first

A top £32,000-a-year private school has appointed an AI chatbot as its new 'headteacher' in UK first - a 'headteacher' who won't give unruly pupils a ticking off in the office or make speeches to the school at assembly. What a grim march to transhumanism we're taking.

The new 'principal headteacher' at a leading private boarding school is an artificial intelligence robot named Abigail Bailey.

Her digital image gives the impression of a well-presented and smart professional and Tom Rogerson, the human headmaster of Cottesmore School in West Sussex, believes she will play an important role.

The prep school has worked with an AI developer to create the robot to support the headmaster in his duties.

Mr Rogerson hopes Ms Bailey will give advice on issues ranging from supporting fellow staff members to helping pupils with ADHD and writing school policies.

The technology is said to work in a similar way to ChatGPT, the online AI service where users type questions, which are answered by the chatbot's algorithms.

Mr Rogerson said the AI principal has been developed to have a wealth of knowledge in machine learning and educational management, with the ability to analyse vast amounts of data.

He told The Telegraph: 'Sometimes having someone or something there to help you is a very calming influence.

'It's nice to think that someone who is unbelievably well trained is there to help you make decisions.

'It doesn't mean you don't ever also seek counsel from humans. Of course you do. It's just very calming and reassuring knowing that you don't have to call anybody up, bother someone, you don't have to wait around for an answer.'

He added: 'Being a school leader, a headmaster, is a very lonely job. Of course we have head teacher's groups... but just having somebody or something on tap that can help you in this lonely place is very reassuring.'

Cottesmore is a mixed day and boarding school for pupils aged four to 13, with fees of up to £32,000 a year.

Mr Rogerson is a believer in embracing AI. Cottesmore was the first school in the country to advertise for a head of AI earlier this year.

He was looking for a candidate to help embed the new technology into the curriculum as well as teaching sport and taking on various activities and hobbies. 'It was a tall order to fulfil all of those remits,' he said.

So in the end the 'head of AI' job went to another robot called Jamie Rainer who will assist on AI strategy and planning.

Pupils at the school have also been given their own individual AI robots to help them understand their individual learning styles.

Mr Rogerson strongly believes pupils need to learn how to collaborate with artificial intelligence, which he has described as 'world changing' technology.

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