Google Public Sector Partners with University of Michigan on AI Virtual Teaching Assistant

Google Public Sector and the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan (Michigan Ross) have launched an advanced virtual teaching assistant (TA) pilot program. 

Developed by Google Public Sector and Michigan Ross, the agentic virtual TA is supported by Google's Gemini. It provides students with 24/7 access to supportive, self-directed learning. 

The virtual TA provides self-paced learning for students by offering on-demand explanations of challenging course concepts. The technology guides students through problem solving by serving as a practice partner and fosters critical thinking by encouraging students to come up with their own answers. 

"As a critical partner to leading education institutions, Google Public Sector is proud to pioneer this personalized learning approach to improve educational delivery, provide early identification for intervention, and help educators solve some of their most pressing challenges," said Google Public Sector's Field Chief Technology Officer Chris Hein in a news release. "The Virtual TA is a prime example of how a customizable, Gemini-powered solution can advance the future of learning and help train the next-generation workforce."

According to the news release, Michigan Ross will use the insights gained from the Virtual TA pilot and apply it to a research study it will conduct across a network of leading higher education institutions. The study will reach approximately 9,000 students, 72 courses, and 26 schools, aimed at developing appropriate guidelines for deploying the technology in diverse educational settings. This initiative will be one of the most significant deployments of an AI agent for education with a goal of helping colleges and universities better understand how they can use AI appropriately in learning environments.