More than 60 attendees from institutions across the country gathered for the AI Institute for Adult Learning and Online Education’s annual AI-ALOE Showcase, an afternoon event highlighting advances in artificial intelligence for adult and online learning.

Hosted at the Georgia Tech Student Center, the showcase brought together researchers, educators, students and industry leaders to explore how AI is reshaping teaching, learning, and workforce development. AI-ALOE, a National Science Foundation–funded institute led by Georgia Tech and partner universities, has developed seven AI technologies used in more than 360 courses and reaching over 30,000 learners. Its flagship tool, Jill Watson, has even surpassed ChatGPT in classroom performance.

Tone Setting Opening Remarks

William Gaudelli, Dean of Georgia Tech’s College of Lifetime Learning, opened the program with inspiring remarks. Executive Director Ashok Goel followed with an overview of AI-ALOE’s mission and progress since the institute’s launch.

Rapid-Fire Research Highlights

The “5-Minute Madness” session featured concise project updates from AI-ALOE scientists and students. The rapid-fire format highlighted work across the institute’s research portfolio, including: apprentice tutors, teachable agents, social agents, intelligent modeling and simulation, interactive video learning, design guidelines for AI systems, and more.

Poster Session Draws Strong Engagement

A poster and demo session offered attendees the opportunity to engage directly with researchers. The room remained active throughout the hour as visitors circulated, asked questions, and explored demonstrations of the institute’s tools and prototypes.

Panel Explores AI’s Role in Higher Education

The afternoon concluded with a workshop-style panel on AI in higher education, moderated by Goel. Panelists included Laura Carruth, associate vice provost for teaching and learning; Richard DeMillo, Charlotte B. and Roger C. Warren chair in computing; Stephen Ruffin, associate dean of academic affairs at Georgia Tech Professional Education; and Leslie Sharp, dean of libraries. The audience posed a wide range of questions about AI’s instructional potential, responsible deployment, and implications for higher education.

Across all sessions, organizers noted strong engagement and meaningful dialogue, reflecting the growing national interest in AI-enabled learning systems and the role of research institutions in shaping the field’s future.