If OpenAI achieves its vision, your next online course might include a chatbot element.
During a fireside chat hosted by Coeus Collective on Monday, Siya Raj Purohit, part of OpenAI’s go-to-market education team, revealed plans to enable e-learning instructors to design custom GPTs integrated with online courses.
“I hope professors will develop custom GPTs for the public, allowing lifelong engagement with educational content,” Purohit shared. “While this isn’t part of our current initiatives, it’s definitely on our roadmap.”
She noted that some educators are already uploading an entire semester’s content to create tailored GPTs using OpenAI’s existing tools, which they then offer to students. “Students interact with this curated knowledge, which I believe is a powerful way to facilitate research,” she added.
OpenAI is strategically targeting the education sector as a significant growth opportunity.
In September, the company brought on Leah Belsky, former chief revenue officer at Coursera, as its first education general manager to expand OpenAI’s presence in schools. Earlier this year, it also launched ChatGPT Edu, a university-oriented version of ChatGPT.
The potential for growth in this market is enormous. Allied Market Research estimates that AI in education could grow into an $88.2 billion industry within the next decade. However, the adoption has been slow, partly due to skepticism among educators.
The envisioned GPTs may resemble Khanmigo, a chatbot Khan Academy developed in partnership with OpenAI. Khanmigo provides assistance with homework, test preparation, and other educational needs by integrating with Khan Academy’s resources.
That said, AI tools still face challenges. When tested by The Wall Street Journal in February, Khanmigo struggled with basic math problems and often failed to correct its errors.
Purohit remains optimistic, emphasizing that the technology is constantly improving. “Our models are getting better all the time, and we’re focused on translating those advancements into tools that enhance teaching and learning,” she explained.
Despite this, many educators remain wary. A Pew Research Center survey this year found that a quarter of public K-12 teachers believe AI tools do more harm than good in education. Similarly, a poll by the Rand Corporation and the Center on Reinventing Public Education revealed that only 18% of K-12 educators are currently incorporating AI into their classrooms.