Alpha School is set to open a new school in the United States around November. It will be an AI-powered school, but not in the way many might expect. The school will not focus on teaching artificial intelligence as a subject. Instead, AI will take on the role of teaching core academic subjects to students, while adults will remain in the classroom to guide them.
This Alpha School will open in the former GEMS Academy building in Lakeshore East, Chicago. According to the school, its AI model will teach students core academic subjects for about two hours each day. The rest of the time will be used for workshops, unique projects, and learning various life skills. The school also plans to replace traditional textbooks with software-based learning tools.
This school will initially serve around 100 students from kindergarten through eighth grade, with plans to expand in the future. The annual fee is $55,000 (around Rs 51,73,000). Alpha School currently has over 20 locations across the US. However, the high school programme is limited to the Austin, Texas location.
In the upcoming school, students will learn through the school’s AI platform on computers. The curriculum combines software developed by the school with licensed third-party educational apps such as Khan Academy, Membean, Mentava, and MobyMax.
How the learning model will work
The school will follow a two-part schedule. The morning session will focus on academics, where students will learn through AI-driven software. After lunch, students will put away their laptops and move to hands-on workshops focused on life skills, teamwork, and project-based learning.
The school’s co-founder, Mackenzie Price, has cited a survey conducted among 1,000 K–12 students across 13 schools in the United States. According to the survey, 94 percent of students said they “love school,” while 60 percent said they would rather go to school than go on vacation.
The school has drawn national attention and scrutiny for its model, as questions remain about the effectiveness of AI-driven instruction. While the use of AI has become increasingly common in academics, with both teachers and students using AI tools, a fully AI-taught curriculum is a new concept.
Meanwhile, Alpha School’s Cameron Sorsby recently announced a new programme on X aimed at students who want to become entrepreneurs. “Our promise: Make $1 million [roughly Rs 9.25 crore] by graduation, or receive a full tuition refund,” Sorsby wrote.
