Key facts
- Macquarie University is using an AI chatbot, dubbed 'Virtual Peer', for two mandatory psychology units.
- The AI activities are optional and supplement core learning, with students assessed separately.
- In-person classes were held in the first semester and are slated to return in 2027.
- Students have voiced concerns about the AI replacing human interaction and potentially displacing educators.
- Macquarie asserts the AI tool was designed in partnership with educators to support them.
- The University of Sydney is also exploring increased AI integration in teaching.
Macquarie University has begun substituting in-person classes with an AI chatbot, online quizzes, and optional online tutorials for two mandatory psychology subjects. The AI tool, named 'Virtual Peer', is programmed to engage students with questions and scenario-based exercises, though these activities are optional and supplement core learning materials. Students are assessed on separate research tasks and exams.
While in-person classes were conducted in the first semester and are scheduled to return in 2027, some students have expressed dissatisfaction. One anonymous student felt "short-changed" by the shift, comparing the AI interaction unfavorably to group discussions or human tutors and expressing concern about job displacement for educators.
Macquarie University stated that the AI tool was developed in partnership with educators to support, not replace, them. Professors upload and check the information used by the chatbot, which the university suggests may reduce the risk of 'hallucination'. Staff and students have largely found the tool valuable, according to university surveys. Paid tutors continue to run optional Zoom sessions for students seeking human interaction.
Other Australian universities, including the University of Melbourne and the University of Sydney, are also integrating AI into teaching. The University of Sydney has developed an education-focused generative AI platform, 'Cogniti', and released a discussion paper envisioning futures with greater AI responsibility in education. However, this trend has also drawn criticism from educators and unions.
The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) has raised concerns about job security and increased workloads for academic staff due to funding shortfalls and the increasing use of AI. NTEU president Peter Chen noted that staff fear job losses or a diminished role. Members are planning to strike over AI protections and workload issues, with the union advocating for AI to be addressed in workplace agreements.