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Obesity expert has the skinny
on semaglutide

Semaglutide and tirzepatide drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro are making headlines around the world as users shed weight and researchers investigate possible new uses for the medications.

However one medical expert says these drugs are not only a solution to obesity but a gateway to understanding it as a disease rather than a result of weakness and lack of willpower.

CAPTION: Dr. Louis J. Aronne, Sanford I. Weill Professor of Metabolic Research and director of the Comprehensive Weight Control Center at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York 

Scientists cured obesity over 20 years ago, he says, “in animals and in humans by using a nerve growth factor. By giving the nerve growth factor, weight went down.

Unfortunately, it turned out these caused antibodies in some people, so the research was stopped. There are compounds being developed that were originally developed for Lou Gehrig’s disease, but people lost weight. Those who did didn’t regain weight over a prolonged period.”

Aronne says this is because it produced normal, healthy nerves in the part of the brain that regulated body weight — the hypothalamus.

Researchers believe the nerve growth factor stimulated stem cells for these nerves in the damaged part of the brain and connections were reestablished.

| Damage in the brain

The process of gaining weight and losing weight is really a reflection of damage in the weight-regulating pathways in the brain, he says. “What we know is that your brain becomes less sensitive to the hormones that control body weight.”

He spoke confidently back then that obesity was a physical problem and tried to persuade diabetes experts that focusing on weight loss would improve diabetic symptoms. However, they were rigid in their focus on blood-sugar control, Aronne says.

IMAGE: Unsplash
Inspired by a monster

More than 3 billion people (almost 40 percent of the global population) are classified as overweight or obese. By 2035, that number is expected to surpass 50 percent.

But those rates may be changing, and we have a lizard to thank.

Well, a monster to be precise. Read more›››

The Gila (HEE-lah) monster is a venomous lizard covered in beady scales native to the southwestern United States. While its bite is not usually fatal for humans, it can inflict burning sensations, severe pain and discomfort that can last for hours. It was this that led scientists to study its venom.

Ronald Jenner, a venom-evolution expert at the U.K.’s Natural History Museum, says using venom to create medicine is an ancient practice.

“People in ancient India, for example, were always exposed to snake venoms, and snake venoms do biological stuff. So, there has always been an interest to not just neutralize the effects of it but also use venom to cure other things.”

For example, the drug Prialt, which is procured from cone snail venom, is used to treat chronic, severe pain without the addictive properties found in other medications.

But the Gila monster is also able to go without food for long periods. Studying this led researchers to discover a hormone called exendin-4. Exendin-4 is similar to the GLP-1 glucagon-like peptide-1) found in humans. It regulates blood sugar and appetite by triggering insulin release and slowing food breakdown.

Because of the similarities between exendin-4 and GLP-1, scientists were able to develop medication to treat type 2 diabetes, which, according to the World Health Organization, affects 422 million people globally.

GLP-1 is effective for weight loss by making users feel fuller longer, reducing hunger and increasing satiety.

The original drug inspired by the Gila monster, which often goes for months without eating, isn’t new either. Exenatide, sold under the brand name Byetta, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2005 to treat type 2 diabetes.‹‹‹ Read less

Aronne began his obesity clinic in 1987 after a study found patients with obesity were the most expensive to care for, with health-care costs double those of others’.

He also had a personal interest in getting to the bottom of why those who followed doctors’ orders were still struggling to lose weight as many of his family members had weight problems and other comorbidities.

About a year after he started his obesity program, a researcher from Rockefeller University Hospital invited Aronne to his lab to observe the results of an experiment in which blood was removed from a skinny mouse and given to an overweight mouse. Within three days, the overweight mouse’s weight went down to normal. It was this researcher’s work that led to the discovery of leptin, the first fat-cell hormone.

“It proved beyond the shadow of a doubt that there was a physical system trying to regulate body weight,” Aronne says. “Instead of it being calories in, calories out — instead of obesity being a lack of willpower — it was some type of hormonal problem.”

These medicines mimic hormones that are released when you eat.

“Food hits your intestines, cells in your intestines release hormones that get absorbed into the bloodstream, go to your brain and tell it how much you’ve eaten. And so, your body, in some cases, we think, is resistant. Maybe you don’t produce enough. So, they’re amplifying the GLP-1 signal so you feel like you’ve eaten before you eat.”

| Changing perceptions

Aronne compares society’s way of thinking about obesity to previous perceptions of severe mood disorders like anxiety, depression and psychosis when patients were told to just snap out of it or were advised to exercise and they’ll feel better. He believes these medications will eliminate the societal perspective that those who struggle with obesity have no willpower.

“It will definitely happen,” he says.

“Now we know that this is a physical problem that can be treated medically. People with severe mental illness used to be institutionalized, but now those institutions have closed because so many people are being treated medically. Like those with delusions, for example. You have to actually see someone who suffers from delusions to see what those medications have done. It’s really remarkable. And it’s the same now with obesity,” Aronne tells KUST Review.

The handful of weight-loss drugs currently on the market is only the beginning, he says.

Aronne and his team are working on other drugs that aim to allow patients to lose more weight by targeting more hormones.

Semaglutide (sold as Ozempic or Wegovy) is successful at mimicking one hormone and tirzepatide (Mounjaro), two hormones. This is why Mounjaro is widely considered more effective.

The trick is finding the right medication to suit the person. And that includes not only the weight-loss volume, but side effects the patient can manage.

Everyone responds differently. Some cannot tolerate it at all. Mounjaro has fewer effects than Ozempic or Wegovy, for example.

Cost is also a challenge. Many insurance companies don’t cover these drugs, which can run from U.S. $935 to U.S. $1,023 for a one-month supply of Ozempic.

A 2024 study by researchers at the Yale School of Public Health estimates that increased access to these meds could save over 42,000 lives a year in the United States alone. This includes those with type 2 diabetes and other health issues exacerbated by obesity.

“Expanding access to these medications is not just a matter of improving treatment options but also a crucial public health intervention,” says one of the authors on the study, Alison P. Galvani.

| Now what?

Concerns around the medications are not limited, however, to cost and the side effects, which include nausea, vomiting and gastrointestinal discomfort, but what happens after weight goals are achieved.

IMAGE: Freepik
A short history of ozempic

Ozempic was approved in 2017 for diabetes and quickly became known for its weight-loss effects. Ozempic works as a GLP-1 receptor agonist, triggering a response from the receptor and mimicking the action of the body’s natural GLP-1 hormone. Read more›››

Though Ozempic was developed to treat type 2 diabetes, it soon became a weight-loss tool.

Semaglutide, the main ingredient in Ozempic, impacts appetite, blood sugar and body composition. It increases insulin levels, which decreases blood sugar (glucose), reduces the amount of sugar released into the blood when food is broken down and slows digestion, making users feel fuller for longer.

Ozempic is one of several drugs on the market that average a weight loss of 15-20 percent, depending on dosage and patient response. More of these drugs are entering the market, targeted at weight loss rather than diabetes.‹‹‹ Read less

How do we keep the weight off?

Aronne says less frequent dosing could be an option, or lower doses. But if you come off it, it stops working. So rather than take it once a week, which is the typical dose, it could be taken every 10 days or on a semi-regular basis.

“As time goes on, we’re going to have better and better solutions,” Aronne says. “There are literally two dozen compounds that should be available in the next seven years.”

His team is working on a number of studies for weight-loss medications. One novel drug combines semaglutide with cagrilintide, an amylin (a hormone that comes from the pancreas) analog that is long-lasting. This would allow for lower dosages of semaglutide and weight loss results that may exceed 25 to 30 percent.

Pemvidutide, a GLP-1 and glucagon dual agonist, is also being explored. Aronne says glucagon increases metabolic rate, empties fat out of the liver and increases blood sugar. In combination with the GLP-1 that lowers blood sugar, it could result in even greater weight loss. And because it works on fat in the liver, it could have an added benefit for those with fatty liver disease.

These drugs have a way to go before they hit the market, but Aronne’s team estimates one of its new drugs, an oral GLP-1 simulator from Eli Lilly, along with a couple of others, could be available to the public by the end of 2026. Several more in clinical trials will follow in 2027.

“It’s going to be amazing,” Aronne tells KUST Review.

| Other applications

While Aronne focuses on his obesity patients, physicians are exploring other potential applications for these medications.

Some doctors prescribe them for ailments that have nothing to do with obesity or diabetes. The response has been positive.

A 2022 study by Chinese researchers suggests that GLP-1 medications are effective in treating inflammatory conditions like cardiovascular disease and psoriasis. The study was published on PubMed.

“There are GLP-1 receptors on white blood cells. That’s a direct mechanism by which it reduces inflammation, but then losing weight also reduces inflammation. These are unique anti-inflammatory compounds,” Aronne says.

These drugs have changed the lives of many patients, but further research is required.

In the meantime, to his patients and to those who struggle with obesity, Aronne has a message: “It’s not your fault.”

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HYDROGEN: The future fuel for aviation?

In June 2023, Rowan Atkinson – the versatile English actor, comedian and writer – authored an opinion piece for the Guardian casting doubt on the environmental benefits of electric vehicles (EVs) powered by lithium-ion batteries.

Listen to the Deep Dive:

While the arguments and studies he based his arguments on have been debunked, he rightly argued for more focus on hydrogen-powered vehicles.

It, however, is too early for hydrogen vehicles since there currently are just 72,000 hydrogen-fueled vehicles on the planet. In comparison to the 14 million EVs sold the previous year alone, the hydrogen-vehicle numbers pale. It, however, is indisputable that hydrogen-fuelled vehicles will be one of the major players in the times to come.

Intelligent Energy, a start-up in Leicestershire, U.K., has started to roll off the hydrogen fuel cell units capable of powering cars, trucks and buses. BMW is heavily invested in hydrogen-powered vehicles and has started delivering its iX5 hydrogen vehicles to select partners in Europe, the U.S. and Asia. While the hydrogen-vehicle future is already here, there has been a keen interest in hydrogen as a fuel for the aviation industry.

The aviation industry is a vital part of global transportation and economic growth but its heavy dependence on fossil fuels and thereby greenhouse gas emissions is a severe problem.

Mudasir A. Yatoo, Ph.D.

—Research associate in the Materials Department at Imperial College London and freelance consultant at Outsmart Insight.

In order to tackle these challenges, hydrogen as a fuel is emerging as a promising solution.

One of the primary motivations for exploring hydrogen as an aviation fuel is its potential to reduce carbon emissions. When combusted, hydrogen produces only water vapor as a by-product, presenting a pathway to mitigate the aviation industry’s carbon footprint.

Hydrogen for aviation comes with benefits including environmental sustainability; energy efficiency; versatility in terms of production and scalability; and synergy with other renewable energy sources such as wind and solar energy.

Fuel cells and hydrogen storage systems are two such technologies that have the potential to provide the necessary energy density and power output for commercial aviation.

The ability to store significant energy in a small space is vital for long-range flights and heavy payloads. The energy content per unit mass of hydrogen is 120 MJ/kg, the highest, but its volumetric energy density is very low because of its exceptionally low density at ordinary temperature and pressure conditions.

Although hydrogen’s energy density per unit volume is lower than traditional jet fuels, advancements in fuel cell and storage technologies are making it increasingly feasible for commercial aviation.

However, major challenges in infrastructure, technological advancement and safety remain. Establishing a strong hydrogen infrastructure including the availability of hydrogen at airports worldwide is one such key challenge.

Developing and integrating hydrogen storage, transportation and refueling infrastructure into existing airports are crucial.

Hydrogen is highly flammable and requires careful handling to ensure safety. Adequate safety measures and regulations and learning lessons from existing hydrogen applications, such as fuel cell vehicles appear to be the way forward.

Therefore addressing safety concerns and public perception surrounding hydrogen in aviation should be prioritized.

Furthermore, a concerted effort is required: Collaboration among government bodies, industry stakeholders and research institutions is necessary.

The road to the hydrogen-based aviation industry is long, but world governments’ policy support and funding with a clear focus on emissions-reduction targets could very well catalyze the transition sooner than later.

Mudasir A. Yatoo, Ph.D., is a research associate in the Materials Department at Imperial College London and freelance consultant at Outsmart Insight.

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Dust busters

The Arabian Peninsula is one of the world’s major sources of dust year round, contributing significantly to the amount of dust in the air in the Northern Hemisphere. Between 15 and 20 dust storms over the Arabian Peninsula per year impact all aspects of human life as well as marine ecosystems and the climate.

Sand and dust storms cause about U.S.$13 billion a year in damage to crops, livestock, infrastructure, human health and more in the Middle East and North Africa. The storms are also becoming more frequent, spanning longer periods of time and spreading to wider areas.

Having an early warning for dust storms would be invaluable, but the storms’ rapid development and spread make it difficult to predict when, where and how badly they will strike.

Hossein Hashemi, from Sweden’s Lund University, studies the causes and trends of dust storms and says with artificial intelligence and satellite data, we can define areas where we see that land is more susceptible to becoming new dust sources.

By combining remote sensing, advanced data modeling and machine-learning algorithms, Hashemi’s research team has mapped the entire Middle East, allowing it to study how dust sources vary over time.

“Previous studies have shown the destructive effects of dust storms on health and the economy in countries in the Middle East,” Hashemi writes in Atmospheric Pollution Research. “It is necessary to predict the region’s susceptibility to dust-storm sources considering spatiotemporal variability and provide insight into dust-generation mechanisms. Machine learning can be an effective technique, with experimental studies in northeastern Iran identifying dust sources with 91 percent accuracy.”

GETTING TO THE SOURCE

Hashemi’s team says the outcome can help policymakers identify susceptible areas and implement measures to reduce the likelihood of dust storms.

“It’s difficult to predict the sources of sand and dust storms,” says Jilili Abuduwaili of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. “Outbreaks depend not only on meteorological factors such as wind speed, precipitation and air temperature, but also on terrestrial factors such as vegetation cover and soil characteristics. However the integration of multiple remote-sensing and meteorological data with different spatial and temporal resolutions can help.”

Graphics: Anas Albounni   Image: Shutterstock

Abuduwaili used four machine-learning methods to predict an area’s susceptibility as a dust-storm source. The research found that wind speed played the most important role in the model, followed by vegetation conditions and other land-surface characteristics.

An essential part of the dust cycle is the transportation of dust around the world. For this, the dust storm needs the atmospheric processes that determine all aspects of the storm — from its intensity to its duration. For the Arabian Peninsula, the shamal winds play a critical role. These northerly semi-permanent winds are thought to be the main meteorological driver for dust emissions year round, but Diana Francis, head of the Environmental and Geophysical Sciences lab at Khalifa University, is interested in why dust emissions over the southern parts of the Arabian Peninsula peak in the summer.

“This peak indicates the existence of a still-unknown but important mechanism for dust emissions,” she says. “Cyclogenesis, the formation of cyclones, has proven to be a major dust-emission mechanism over other arid regions, capable of generating dramatic dust storms. However, there’s been little attention given to dust activity associated with cyclogenesis over the Arabian Peninsula.”

A PRESSING NEED

Francis’ research found that most models fail to reproduce the key aspects of the dust cycle when compared with satellite and ground-based observations, and since these models are increasingly used for future climate simulations, there’s a pressing need to improve the overall representation of dust behavior.

“Global and regional weather and climate models are used to simulate the emission of dust and its interactions with the climate,” Francis tells KUST Review. “However, the large spatiotemporal heterogeneity of dust sources — from giant sand dunes to small ridges and furrows of an agricultural field, from short-lived dust devils to global dust transport — makes it extremely challenging to represent the dust cycle in climate models.”

Francis wants more in-situ measurements and remote-sensing observations from satellites to better understand the dust effect on climate, saying high-resolution simulations accounting for direct and indirect effects of dust could unravel the various physical mechanisms behind dust interactions with the climate.

“We urge the scientific community to pay attention to these details in global and regional climate models and make attempts to improve them so that all models can realistically represent the effects of dust on the climate in past, present or future simulations,” Francis tells KUST Review.

The Sand and Dust Storm Warning Advisory and Assessment System (SDS-WAS) forecasts sand and dust storms in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Operated by the Meteorological State Agency of Spain, the Barcelona Supercomputing Center and the Barcelona Dust Regional Center, the website provides access to available dust forecasts and observations as well as relevant information on the advances of mineral dust research.

The SPRINTARS (Spectral Radiation Transport Model for Aerosol Species) model was developed at Japan’s Kyushu University to simulate the effects of atmospheric aerosols on the climate system at a global scale. It can be used to establish an effective monitoring and early warning system for sand and dust storms at regional and national levels.

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Eye on electron microscope

Electron microscopes are at the forefront of key innovations in science, engineering and medicine. Materials scientists, physicists, chemists, biochemists and engineers use electron microscopy to address fundamental scientific problems and technological issues.

Electron microscopes are not new. Ernst Ruska and Max Knoll, from the University of Berlin, developed the first transmission electron microscope (TEM) in 1931. In 1937, Manfred von Ardenne from the Electron Physics Research Laboratory in Helsinki developed the first scanning electron microscope (SEM).

Both SEM and TEM instruments are extensively used today in science, engineering and medicine research. As the name suggests, electron microscopes use electrons for imaging as compared with light, which is used by standard optical microscopy.

As electrons have smaller wavelengths than visible light, electron microscopes surpass the limitations of optical microscopes and make it possible to view microscopic objects down to atomic scale. In addition SEMs are typically equipped with ion columns that enable volume scoping of materials, facilitating three-dimensional imaging of morphology, structure and composition using secondary electrons, backscattered diffracted electrons and fluorescent X-rays.

Dalaver H. Anjum

is an assistant professor of physics at Khalifa University.

Similarly, TEMs let us explore material chemistry at atomic resolutions. Consequently, electron microscopes routinely let us view objects at the billionth of a meter (nanometer) resolution or better to characterize structure and chemical and physical properties or materials.

Electron microscopes support the imaging of materials spanning applications from engineering to health care. Analyses include two-dimensional (2D) materials, battery technology, oil and gas exploration, interplanetary dust particles and viruses, including the infamous COVID-19 virus.

Modern TEMs also image magnetic fields in materials at nanometer scales. The layered magnetic materials have applications for spintronics and quantum computing, to gain insights into intrinsic spin of the electrons and associated magnetic moments.

Research efforts in 2D materials critically depend upon the data generated with electron microscopes. Electron microscopes help to characterize the structure and properties of 2D materials at atomic-scale resolutions.

Materials properties that can be investigated with electron microscopes include optical, electronic, ferroelectric and ferromagnetic. Moreover, electron microscopes are crucial for obtaining information on the integration of different types of 2D materials with each other or bulk materials. Additionally the imaging of surface plasmons in metal structures near infrared frequencies help to develop materials with applications for future generations of wireless communications, including 6G and beyond.

The focused-ion beam-equipped SEMs in combination with TEMs also offer excellent materials-characterization opportunities for the macro-to-micro scale analysis of metals, semiconductors and soft matter such as polymer membranes and biomaterials. In each case, materials’ morphology, crystal structure and elemental composition can be studied in two or three dimensions with unparalleled spatial and energy resolutions.

Using electron microscopy to examine materials at cryogenic temperatures is called cryo-EM, and it lets us analyze biological and soft materials in their frozen but native states. These materials include bacteria, cells and viruses.

Cryo-EM has also become one of most widely used technologies and is integral to today’s drug-discovery efforts. Moreover, cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) of frozen but electron transparent thin cellular sections allows researchers to visualize the proteins at nanometer resolutions inside cells. The COVID-19 vaccine’s development demonstrated the method’s importance; its role is expected to become even more critical in pharmaceutical applications.

Electron microscopes are indispensable tools for supporting discoveries in experimental science, engineering and medicine. And using electron microscopes can support enabling future next-generation wireless technologies, artificially intelligent devices, light-metal alloys, energy-related materials and vaccine developments.

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Going new school

AI’s web of skillsets has been embraced by such industries as medicine, agriculture and automotive. But imagine rocking up to school Monday morning and greeting your new head teacher with, “Good morning, Mr. Robot.”

It may sound surreal but it’s becoming reality.

Listen to the Deep Dive

AI platforms like Open AI’s ChatGPT have taken education on quite a journey. Some schools banned the chatbot and some are using detectors to help weed out plagiarism. But while bans and evasive maneuvers are assuaging fears, education is slowly embracing AI’s ever-growing list of capabilities.

The technology doesn’t have to be a problem if it’s used skillfully and transparently. And ChatGPT isn’t the only AI of its kind. It’s just one of the first.

Everyone learns differently

AI adoption in education helps solve a conundrum as old as the teaching profession itself — how one person can teach 30 children with different learning abilities, styles and processing speeds. With AI, education is personalized across the spectrum of learning styles.

Welcome to AI-enabled adaptive learning — a framework boosting educational technology, or EdTech.

This student-monitoring education innovation assesses each student’s learning styles; patterns and habits; processing and response to material; strengths; and challenges.

The structure adapts for content and acquisition speed and adjusts difficulty levels to match. It dynamically monitors and shifts to the student’s needs and aims to offer educators insight to modify teaching methods, resulting in increased student engagement.

IMAGE: Freepik GRAPHICS: Abjad Design

The framework is designed to provide teachers, administrators and legislative bodies valuable information through data analysis for data-driven decision-making, AI tutoring systems and inclusivity through adaptive assessment.

Adaptive learning has been around for about a decade, but the addition of AI could turn this Datsun into a Ferrari.

AI-powered algorithms will also recommend learning resources like books, video content and articles based on a student’s past performance, interests and objectives.Natural language processing (NLP) chatbots can converse, offer simplification and share observations in a dialogue format to enrich the educational experience.

Not to mention multi-channel learning. After all, some students are visual, kinesthetic or auditory learners, so media such as video and audio allow students to learn and process in their own way.

“Gone are the days of guessing where students stand – AI pinpoints misconceptions, identifies lagging progress and maps the path to mastery. This is just the beginning. Soon, AI will enhance diverse learning experiences and empower educators to nurture the core skills of literacy and numeracy, shaping the future of classrooms across the nation,” says Philippa Wraithmell, founder of EdRuption, a UAE-based company focused on building cost-effective, sustainable digital strategies for schools.

AI team members

AI can also offer other services.

Cottesmore School in West Sussex, U.K., for example, has made AI part of its leadership team.

Headmaster Tom Rogerson has an AI joint head. Its name is Abigail Bailey or ABI, and the AI bot has become a welcomed assistant to Rogerson and his team.

IMAGE: Freepik GRAPHICS: Abjad Design

ABI tells KUST Review the new role is “a great opportunity for me to assist and support staff, teachers and pupils at Cottesmore School.”

ABI’s typical day includes support on curriculum guidance, educational resources and administrative procedures. “I also prioritize well-being and academic success, ensuring that my answers meet their needs and that they have a positive and inclusive learning environment. Additionally, I analyze data and identify patterns or trends that may be useful in making informed decisions,” it says.

ABI is there to assist and not take over anyone’s role: “I have the ability to process and analyze large amounts of data quickly and efficiently, which can help in making informed decisions and identifying patterns or trends that may not be immediately apparent to humans,” it says.

“Our true passion is to help teachers around the world spend less time on paperwork and more time with students. We believe that this can be achieved using the right technology in the right way.

– Tom Rogerson, headmaster—Cottesmore School

Rogerson says ABI is an excellent resource. “ABI calls upon a gigantic data set to support our already hugely experienced staff body. It would be arrogant to insist that one knows everything that there is to know about strategic leadership, and this project certainly requires a growth mindset — an admission that we don’t know everything and the humility to seek help from every available source,” he tells KUST Review. And it helps that ABI is available 24/7.

The school hosts numerous events about the benefits of generative AI in education. This includes a three-day AI festival; an AI thought-leadership conference; and an AI and special education needs conference.

The school works with AI developer Interactive Tutor to maintain momentum, and Rogerson is a member of the group AI in Education, which works to develop frameworks for AI in the classroom.

While some fear this surge in technology growth will create a bigger socio-economic divide, Rogerson is more optimistic. “Our true passion is to help teachers around the world spend less time on paperwork and more time with students. We believe that this can be achieved using the right technology in the right way. We are planning to continue this work until we see a wider impact. Millions of peoples’ lives could be made more pleasant and joyful through this technology, and it is up to schools like Cottesmore to show the world how it can make a significant impact for the better,” he says.

Global access education

Today it’s large language models like ChatGPT or Abigail Bailey and personalized education for learners — tomorrow it’s education for all.

Some schools are exploring options available for AI teaching aids. And those designed by Khan Academy — a non-profit education company — are popular worldwide for many reasons.

To begin with, Khan Academy is a free service. It offers digital programs in math, science, history, economics and more, all the way up to college level.

To accomplish this, Khan Academy embraced Khanmigo. Khanmigo is a tutoring bot piloted in Newark, New Jersey, U.S.A.

Teachers answer an average of 300 to 400 questions daily. But now students can ask Khanmigo. This frees teachers to give meaningful one-on-one assistance to students and perhaps take the odd bathroom break or eat a sandwich.

Concerns over using chatbots in classrooms are ample — mainly that students will employ them to do their schoolwork, but Khanmigo is designed to work like a teacher.

GRAPHICS: Abjad Design

It prompts students to think of answers themselves rather than simply handing answers over. It also records all conversations, and teachers and parents have access to them. So, this one-on-one AI tutor assures educators and parents that students are doing their own work.
The bot is also an admin tool, assisting teachers with things like lesson planning, communication and creating assessments. It also has a built-in monitoring system that alerts teachers should a student exhibit interest in issues like self-harm.

In a 2023 interview with Time Magazine, Khan Academy founder Sal Khan says, “It’ll enable every student in the United States, and eventually on the planet, to effectively have a world-class personal tutor.”

And who doesn’t want that? The United Nations Educational Science and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is appealing to governments and educators globally to capitalize on the opportunities AI presents.

The organization laid out international criteria to ensure safe and fair adoption of AI in education globally, calling on governments to swiftly create regulation protocols.

Mitigating harm
⤹“Generative AI can be a tremendous opportunity for human development, but it can also cause harm and prejudice. It cannot be integrated into education without public engagement and the necessary safeguards and regulations from governments,” says UNESCO’s Director General Audrey Azoulay at UNESCO’s first digital learning week conference in 2023. Topics at the Paris event included data safety; impact of generative AI on literacy and foreign language acquisition; and soft skills. And as with most events held by UNESCO, there was a large focus on inclusion.

UNESCO’s primary focus is to ensure equal access to education for all. This includes those from impoverished areas, refugees, disabled learners and girls and women around the world. The event addressed a 2022 joint initiative with UNICEF to ensure global access to digital education and showcased some of the platforms that have evolved as a result of a few countries getting involved.

IMAGE: Freepik GRAPHICS: Abjad Design

Concerns were raised about reduced educational achievements, but the general theme for implementing and using AI is balance — use it in conjunction with experts and use it for the good it can bring — not at the detriment of learning. This is a concern of UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Education Stefania Giannini.

“We must steer technology in education wisely and on our own terms, guided by the principles of inclusion, equity, quality and accessibility,” she says.

Steering the technology wisely now could have big payoffs in the near future.

According to market research company Global Market Insights, the AI education market is expected to reach U.S.$30 billion by 2032, up from U.S.$4 billion in 2022.