“Autopilot” in education: artificial intelligence takes control

One of the leading universities in Kazakhstan has launched “Autopilot” pilot project, an innovative system based on the integration of Microsoft 365 Education, Polytech Online platform and the new MConnect+ solution. The project is aimed at solving the main problem of the digital age in education - violations of academic integrity caused by the massive use of generative AI by students when doing homework.

As practice has shown, tools such as ChatGPT and Copilot are already capable of passing any subjects with excellent grades. This calls into question the very effectiveness of traditional methods of teaching and evaluating knowledge.

 “Autopilot” system offers an alternative - full digital control of the educational process. Students study according to the schedule, recording each lesson on video from two cameras: a laptop camera and a smartphone camera. Lectures are prepared in advance in PowerPoint format and are automatically sent to students via Microsoft Teams. After watching the lecture and completing the test in Polytech Online system, students solve practical problems, record the process in a notebook and demonstrate solutions on camera.

All data - videos, tests, selfies - is automatically collected and structured in Microsoft Azure cloud system, providing the teacher with quick access to record verification. If necessary, the check can be performed by assistants, and the system enables to quickly identify violations, such as the absence of a student or attempts at deception.

It is noteworthy that the inspiration for creating the Autopilot was the experience of Halyk Bank, where the similar system based on Microsoft 365 Enterprise has already proven its effectiveness in conditions of severe financial responsibility.

Now the teacher does not need to personally attend classes: their task is to prepare lecture material, generate tests and selectively check records. Thanks to Autopilot, routine tasks are automated, and control over academic discipline has become unprecedentedly strict.

The spring semester showed encouraging results: without direct supervision of lectures and independent work of students, the average score remained stable. The implementation of full control, according to the authors of the project, will significantly improve academic performance.

“Autopilot” project demonstrates how technologies proven in the banking sector can effectively adapt to the educational environment, opening a new page in the digitalization of universities.

About teaching with autopilot