{
  "id": 4880149,
  "title": "Macquarie University swaps in-person psychology classes with AI chatbot for two subjects",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/01/macquarie-university-swaps-in-person-psychology-classes-with-ai",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-09-01T15:00:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Guardian Australia",
    "slug": "the-guardian-australia",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/sep/02/macquarie-university-using-ai-chatbot-tutorials"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Macquarie University has replaced in-person psychology classes with an AI chatbot, online quizzes, and optional online tutorials in two subjects. The AI, called \"Virtual Peer,\" poses questions and guides students through scenario-based exercises, supplementing core learning materials such as online readings, quizzes, and videos. The university stated that the AI activities are optional and only supplement the core learning materials, which remain mandatory. Students are only assessed on separate research tasks and exams, which are not affected by the AI integration.\n\nIn the 2026 academic year, in-person classes for the psychology subjects will return in alternate semesters. This allows students to choose between the online and in-person formats based on their preferences and circumstances. One anonymous student expressed feeling \"short-changed\" due to issues with the degree structure, which forced them to enroll in the online option. According to Macquarie, the AI tool was designed in partnership with educators to support, not replace, their roles. The professors who use Virtual Peer upload the information it uses and review it, making it more tailored compared to general-purpose AI tools. The university can also monitor student conversations on the service to ensure the AI's responses remain accurate.\n\nDespite the AI integration, the university maintains paid tutors who conduct optional Zoom sessions for students seeking feedback. The subjects also have six to ten optional Zoom sessions weekly, depending on the level and the number of students. For instance, an introductory-level subject with 400 students has six sessions a week, while a final-year subject with 700 students has 10 sessions a week. This results in approximately one class for every 70 students. Students are encouraged to attend these sessions if they desire human interaction for guidance and support. The university monitors attendance at these sessions, which typically rises around assessment due dates.\n\nVirtual Peer has been used in various subjects across Macquarie, answering nearly 80,000 student questions in 2025 and nearly as many in the first half of 2026, with the majority being administrative inquiries. Staff and students generally found the tool valuable or recommended its use in surveys conducted by the university. Macquarie is one of a few Australian universities that have systematically incorporated AI into teaching, alongside the University of Melbourne and the University of Sydney, as the technology gains popularity among students, albeit with some criticism.\n\nAssociate Professor Meena Jha from Central Queensland University mentioned that she has not previously encountered any universities simultaneously cutting in-person teaching and introducing AI chatbots during her research on AI in higher education. She emphasized the importance of human touch in education and cautioned against the potential loss of engagement if everything were replaced with virtual tutors. CQU is piloting its homegrown AI tool, called \"Birdy,\" as a \"service/support tool\" in 24 units, similar to Virtual Peer.\n\nThe University of Sydney has positioned itself as a leader in this area by providing hundreds of academics with its education-focused generative AI platform, \"Cogniti,\" for chatbots and scenario exercises. Cogniti has been shared with other institutions in Australia, New Zealand, and the Netherlands. The university released a discussion paper envisioning a future where AI takes on even greater responsibilities, delivering personalized teaching for each student in each unit while reducing staff-student contact hours. The university spokesperson stated that Sydney only supports staff in using technology to improve student experiences, stressing that human judgment, accountability, and relationships are essential and cannot be replaced by technology. This approach is not a cost-saving measure.",
  "summary": "University’s move is part of trend that critics within academia say will lead to further staff cuts and the loss of ‘everything that makes the job worth doing’ An Australian university has swapped in-person classes with an AI chatbot, online quizzes and optional online tutorials in two subjects as institutions give the technology more teaching responsibilities. Macquarie University’s “Virtual…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Guardian Technology",
        "title": "Macquarie University swaps in-person psychology classes with AI chatbot for two subjects",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/01/macquarie-university-swaps-in-person-psychology-classes-with-ai-4880884",
        "published": "2026-09-01T15:00:02.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}