Napster is moving from music into education with a plan to create AI-powered digital twins of teachers that can answer student questions around the clock, CNET Japan reported.
The company announced a partnership on September 16 with GEMS Education, one of the largest private education providers in the Middle East, according to CNET Japan. The initiative would develop digital personalities that replicate teachers and support students 24 hours a day in multiple languages, the report said.
The project is built on Napster Learn, which interacts with users through a clip-on AI assistant called Napster View, CNET Japan reported. Following the introduction of an AI curriculum in the UAE in early September, the goal is to deploy the technology at GEMS-affiliated schools in the Middle East by the end of 2026.
Safety constraints and procedures are incorporated from the design stage to allow humans to stay informed and intervene as needed, according to the announcement cited by CNET Japan.
The report noted potential concerns, including schools using 24-hour digital avatars as a pretext for staff reductions or wage cuts. AI models can also generate hallucinations or misinformation, meaning a digital teacher could spread errors to students in multiple languages before anyone notices, CNET Japan said. Some policy proposals, including a recent AI companion regulation in China, warn about children becoming emotionally dependent on artificial characters rather than humans, the report added.
For more information, visit japan.cnet.com.