Students Are Being Treated Like Guinea Pigs: Inside an AI-Powered Private School

5 hours ago

Alpha School, an AI-powered private school, charges up to $65,000 a year but generates faulty AI lesson plans that sometimes 'do more harm than good.'
The school scrapes data from other online courses without permission to train its AI, violating terms of service of platforms like Khan Academy and IXL.
Internal documents reveal AI-generated lesson plans contain unclear wording, illogical multiple-choice questions, and fail to meet SAT standards.
Alpha School monitors students closely with software like StudyReel, tracking mouse movements, screen activity, and recording videos, raising privacy concerns.
Former employees report students often study more than the advertised '2-hour learning' window and arrive unprepared for advanced classes.
Alpha School's AI tools, such as AlphaRead, produce flawed reading comprehension exercises, including questions unrelated to the text or with multiple correct answers.
The school relies on AI to evaluate its own AI-generated content, creating a loop where errors go unchecked.
Alpha School's co-founder acknowledges potential selection bias in high test scores, as most students come from affluent families.
Parents and students express discomfort with constant surveillance, comparing it to corporate 'bossware.'
Despite high test scores, former employees credit human tutors—not AI—for student success.

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