{
  "id": 10395420,
  "title": "UAE school group Gems says 'digital personas' of teachers will assist staff, not replace them",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/28/uae-school-group-gems-says-digital-personas-of-teachers-will-assist",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-28T07:45:04.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National UAE",
    "slug": "the-national-uae",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/uae/2026/09/28/uae-school-group-gems-says-digital-personas-of-teachers-will-assist-staff-not-replace-them/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The UAE's largest private school group, Gems Education, is set to employ digital replicas of its teachers as part of a nationwide technology integration push in classrooms. These artificial intelligence (AI) powered \"twins\" are designed to emulate the appearance, voice, and responses of specific staff members. Gems has partnered with global brand Napster to develop these \"digital personas\" and AI agents for use in K-12 education. The project will initially launch at Gems School of Research and Innovation, with plans to expand across the entire network before the end of the year.\n\nBaz Nijjar, senior vice president of innovation, AI and futurism at Gems Education, emphasized that the initiative aims to enhance teachers' reach and impact, not replace them. The AI agents can make approved content more accessible, provide guided practice, and assist students in revisiting explanations. However, they cannot assume a teacher's professional, pastoral, or safeguarding responsibilities.\n\nA \"digital persona\" is described as a configured AI identity with an approved role, knowledge base, tone, permissions, and safeguards. Teachers will not be obligated to share their likeness or voice, as this will be optional and trialed with willing participants. Explicit agreements, defined usage rights, and the ability to update, pause, or withdraw the representation will be required.\n\nThe primary use case for these digital personas is after-hours academic support, providing pupils with on-demand access to curriculum content and guided practice in various languages. The primary goal is to improve learning, feedback, confidence, and personal development while preserving the human relationships at the core of education.\n\nParental reactions have been mixed. Some, like PR founder Jola Chudy, believe the technology should be framed as a support tool rather than a replacement for human teachers. Concerns about AI hallucinations, safety protocols, and the need for open communication with parents have been raised. Others, such as father Ryaan Sharif, see potential value in properly monitored AI avatars, provided they genuinely benefit learning and engagement. Meanwhile, Diana Al Rifai worries about AI being used as a crutch for children, potentially hindering the development of independent problem-solving skills.\n\nEducators, including Alex Gray and Dan Clark, stress the importance of human oversight and caution against relying on AI to replace the nuanced understanding and responsibility that teachers provide. Fahed Bizzari, an expert in AI empowerment, supports the concept of after-hours AI assistance, advocating for the responsible use of these tools to empower students in confidently navigating the evolving technological landscape.",
  "summary": "The UAE's largest private school group is preparing to use digital replicas of its teachers in the latest step in a nationwide drive to integrate advanced technology into the classroom . The artificial intelligence-powered 'twins' are designed to look, sound and respond like a named member of staff – with Gems Education offering assurances it is a high-tech tool to assist staff, not replace them.…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The National Business",
        "title": "UAE school group Gems says 'digital personas' of teachers will assist staff, not replace them",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/28/uae-school-group-gems-says-digital-personas-of-teachers-will-assist-10399230",
        "published": "2026-09-28T07:45:04.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}