A business school in Paris will soon begin using artificial intelligence and facial analysis to determine whether students are paying attention in class. The software, called Nestor, is used in two online classes at the ESG business school beginning in September.
The idea, according to LCA founder Marcel Saucet, is to use the data that Nestor collects to improve the performance of both students and professors. The software uses students webcams（网络摄像机） to analyze eye movements and facial expressions and determine whether students are paying attention to a video lecture. Professors would also be able to identify moments when students' attention declined, which could help to improve their teaching.
Advocates for AI in education say the technology could be used as a digital tutor that would adapt to a student's individual needs, and help develop more effective studying habits. Such software could also help teachers by providing quantitative（定量的） feedback on the effectiveness of their teaching.
But AI programs rely on massive information of personal data, and there are concerns over how such dat a would be treated. Saucet says Nestor won't store any of the video footage（片段） it gets and that his company has no plans to sell any other data the software collects. In addition, some are concerned that AI may one day replace teachers.
Rose Luckin, a professor at the University College London Knowledge Lab, says AI could unlock the"black box of learning"by providing information on how and when learning happens. But she cautions（告诫） against adopting new technology that, while alluring, may not actually respond to critical needs. She thinks a program like Nestor could be useful for students who take classes remotely, since "there isn't a human there watching them". So Luckin sees the technology more as an assistant, rather than a replacement.
Saucet agrees. "Human contact is not going to go away, " he says. "There will always be professors. "
