Tutor CoPilot: A Human-AI Approach for Scaling Real-Time Expertise

Authors
Rose E. Wang,
Ana T. Ribeiro,
Carly D. Robinson,
Susanna Loeb,
Dorottya Demszky
Date
Publication
National Student Support Accelerator

 

Generative AI, particularly Large Language Models (LLMs), can expand access to expert guidance in domains like education, where such support is often limited. We introduce Tutor CoPilot, a Human-AI system that models expert thinking to assist tutors in real time. In a randomized controlled trial involving more than 700 tutors and 1,000 students from underserved communities, students with tutors using Tutor CoPilot were 4 percentage points more likely to master math topics (p<0.01). Gains were highest for students of lower-rated tutors (+9 p.p.), and the tool is low-cost (about $20/tutor/year). Analysis of over 350,000 messages shows Tutor CoPilot promotes effective pedagogy, increasing the use of probing questions and reducing generic praise. In this work we show the potential for human-AI systems to scale expertise in a real-world domain, bridge gaps in skills, and create a future where high-quality education is accessible to all students.

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