In an era of fake news, it’s increasingly difficult to distinguish true information from false news online. It’s not uncommon to type a question into a search engine and get answers with distorted or even incorrect data. But some are using technology to promote quality education.

That’s the case with Saint Paul Escola de Negócios, which, in partnership with Stefanini Scala, an affiliate of Stefanini, offers a disruptive platform that allows students to clarify doubts, at any time of day and in any location, with the help of artificial intelligence (AI).

“Our professors ‘train’ the AI tool to answer questions about the content taught,” explains Marcos Paulo Sanchez, Director of Digital and IT at Saint Paul, an institution five times listed among the best in the world, according to the Financial Times. The project began a little over a year ago, and the first course to feature Paul, the virtual tutor, was Accounting, followed by Innovation and Creativity.

Now, students in Business Administration and Financial Statements will have access to the tool, which can answer questions and teach various concepts, techniques, and relationships within the subject matter. Once this phase is complete, the goal is for more than 20,000 students to be able to use this learning platform.

“Our expectation is to extend access to more than 100 courses in up to three years, benefiting thousands of students,” says Sanchez. “Digital transformation is what drives us. We’re not discarding the role of the professor in any way,” he adds. “We have two key players: the student and the professor. Technology is just the means,” summarizes Adriano Mussa, Academic Director at Saint Paul.

In addition to offering extensive content and accurate answers, the platform allows students to track their progress in the course and share their experiences in a social network created exclusively for students. “The idea is for students to take ownership of their own learning,” guarantees Sanchez.

IBM Watson

For Filipe Cotait, Technology Director at Stefanini Scala, the platform shows that Saint Paul is an innovative and disruptive institution. This praise is well-deserved, as it’s the only one in the world to use AI in this way. Stefanini Scala is responsible for implementing IBM Watson technology and creating the chat through which students can ask Paul questions. “In the beginning, I confess I was skeptical about the possibility of AI learning the content, but the result positively surprised me,” highlights Sanchez.

This project is part of an onlearning platform called LIT, which works like a Netflix subscription by offering access to a vast amount of content and allowing students to direct their studies to areas of greatest interest. In total, the platform has more than 1,500 solved exercises, 8,000 books, and 10 MBA programs with business-related topics, such as leadership, marketing, accounting, innovation, finance, and others. The idea is for students to receive certifications according to the courses completed, so that, when connected like LEGOs, they can obtain an MBA degree.

Personalized Educational Path

In addition, the platform can identify the strengths and weaknesses of each student and offer a personalized educational path. It’s also able to map a student’s personality through their writing style and social interactions. Above all, it’s democratic. The subscription costs $99 per month, enabling millions of Brazilians to have access to quality executive education.

“You can learn by reading books, attending a class, or participating in a case study. Now, you can learn by talking to Paul. Without a doubt, artificial intelligence based on cognitive computing presents fundamental elements for the evolution of how we learn,” says José Securato, President of Saint Paul Escola de Negócios.”