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- Meritus AI's Massive Teacher Training Initiative Across Asia and Effat University's AI Model Predicts Student Success
Meritus AI's Massive Teacher Training Initiative Across Asia and Effat University's AI Model Predicts Student Success
Niel de Kock
February 13, 2025
Welcome to the latest news in AI and AI in educational news.
Education AI News
India’s Meritus AI to Train 72,000 Teachers in AI-Powered Education Across Asia
Meritus AI, an India-based edtech company, has announced a large-scale initiative to train 72,000 educators across Asia in artificial intelligence. In partnership with a multinational corporation, the program will provide teachers with hands-on training in machine learning, prompt engineering, generative AI, and big data applications. The initiative includes AI-integrated curricula, accessibility tools for special needs education, and certification for teachers. Schools will receive AI resources such as robotics kits and coding clubs to ensure long-term adoption. Meritus AI’s leadership highlights the program as a transformative step in equipping educators to prepare students for an AI-driven future.
Effat University Develops AI Model to Predict Student Performance and Enhance Academic Support
Researchers at Effat University have developed a machine learning-based tool to predict student performance and assist academic advisors in early intervention strategies. Designed for ease of use by faculty, the model analyzes GPA trends, academic records, and demographic factors to accurately forecast students' final semester GPAs. The study found that the Random Forest algorithm outperformed logistic regression and artificial neural networks in prediction accuracy. The AI-driven tool aims to improve resource allocation, reduce dropout rates, and enhance student outcomes while ensuring data privacy and ethical AI practices in higher education.
Virtual Reality Training in UK Medicines Manufacturing Aims to Cut NHS Carbon Emissions
The UK’s Resilience project, a £4.3 million government-funded initiative managed by Innovate UK, is using virtual reality (VR) training to reduce travel and material waste in advanced medicines manufacturing. By eliminating the need for physical travel and single-use resources, VR training contributes to the NHS’s net zero carbon emissions target while addressing skill shortages in the sector. The program, which simulates real-world laboratory environments, enhances training efficiency for students, professionals, and NHS staff. VR technology supports sustainability efforts by lowering emissions from NHS-related travel and medicine production while also engaging young learners in STEM fields.
Schools Unite to Advance AI in Education Through Collaborative Innovation
A new School Teams AI Collaborative is bringing together over 80 educators from 19 schools across the U.S. to explore AI-enabled instruction. Led by nonprofits Leading Educators and The Learning Accelerator, the initiative helps teachers integrate AI responsibly into classrooms, improving lesson planning, student feedback, and interactive learning. In Denver’s DSST: College View High School, students are using Playlab to build AI-powered chatbots for real-world applications like voter registration, mental health support, and financial literacy. Participants share insights across schools, fostering collaboration and refining AI’s role in education. While students initially expressed skepticism, educators emphasize empowering them to actively shape AI rather than passively experience it. The initiative, set to conclude this summer, has already sparked interest in continuing beyond 2025, as schools push for a pragmatic and ethical AI future in education.
AI News
Bridging Philosophy and AI to Explore Computing Ethics
MIT's new Ethics of Computing course, co-taught by EECS professor Armando Solar-Lezama and philosophy professor Brad Skow, challenges students to tackle the moral dilemmas of AI and computing. Through a blend of technical and philosophical inquiry, the course explores issues like AI bias, privacy, free speech, and the societal impact of automation.
By analyzing real-world cases, including AI-driven criminal justice tools and ethical concerns in AI development, students learn how to critically assess emerging technologies. Designed through MIT’s Common Ground for Computing Education, the course fosters cross-disciplinary thinking, equipping students to navigate the complex ethical challenges of the digital age.
Puzzling Out Climate Change: Using AI to Reduce Transportation Emissions
MIT PhD candidate and Accenture Fellow Shreyaa Raghavan is applying machine learning and optimization to tackle transportation sector emissions, which account for nearly 30% of greenhouse gases. Working in Cathy Wu’s lab, she explores intelligent traffic management systems—such as networked autonomous vehicles and digital speed limits—to reduce stop-and-go traffic and emissions.
Supported by Accenture and the U.S. Department of Transportation, Raghavan emphasizes cross-disciplinary collaboration in combating climate change. As part of the MIT Energy and Climate Club, she is launching a mentorship program to guide students toward impactful careers in energy and climate. “No one field will solve climate change alone,” she says, advocating for innovation across industries.
How DeepSeek Built a Powerful AI Model at a Fraction of the Cost
Chinese AI startup DeepSeek stunned the industry by developing a cutting-edge AI system using only 2,000 GPUs—far fewer than the 16,000+ typically required—at a cost of just $6 million. The company achieved this through innovative techniques like the mixture of experts model, which splits AI tasks among specialized neural networks and coordinates them with a generalist model, reducing computation. Additionally, DeepSeek optimized memory usage by cutting down numerical precision during training while preserving accuracy in key calculations. These cost-saving strategies make AI development more efficient and accessible, potentially reshaping the future of AI research.
New Study Suggests ChatGPT Uses Less Power Than Previously Thought
A new analysis by Epoch AI challenges earlier estimates of ChatGPT’s energy consumption, finding that a typical query consumes around 0.3 watt-hours—far less than the widely cited 3 watt-hours per query. This makes ChatGPT’s energy use comparable to common household appliances, rather than the power-hungry perception it previously had. However, AI’s overall energy demand is expected to rise, especially with the shift toward reasoning models that require more computational power. While OpenAI is developing more efficient models, the industry’s rapid expansion will likely drive significant data center growth in the coming years.
AI Tools
Henna Designs Blends Tradition with AI for Stunning, Custom Henna Patterns
Henna Designs, an AI-powered platform, allows artists and enthusiasts to generate unique and culturally authentic henna patterns in seconds. Trained on thousands of traditional designs, the tool offers styles including Indian, Arabic, Modern, and Moroccan, catering to professionals like henna artists, wedding planners, and studio owners. Users can describe their desired design, choose a style, and instantly download high-resolution patterns for commercial use. With free accounts generating up to 5 designs daily, Henna Designs streamlines the creative process while respecting cultural heritage, offering an innovative solution for the modern henna industry.
Hashtag AI is a cutting-edge AI tool designed to generate contextually relevant hashtags from images. Supporting multiple languages, including English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Dutch, the tool allows users to add specific topics for tailored hashtag results. Ideal for social media users, influencers, digital marketers, and businesses, Hashtag AI boosts online visibility, saves time, and increases productivity. With a simple interface, it enables instant hashtag generation from uploaded images, enhancing content optimization for platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and more. Available for free, Hashtag AI makes social media marketing seamless and efficient.