United States: Revolutionary School or “Scam”? In Texas, Alpha School replaces Teachers with AI

Artificial intelligence: For $40,000 a year, children only learn the fundamentals two hours a day, with applications managed by artificial intelligence

The essential

Alpha School is an American private school that charges $40,000 a year for schooling reduced to two hours a day of on-screen learning with AI, without a teacher.
The rest of the time, students aged 4 to 18 do other activities on various themes such as “entrepreneurship”.
Behind this promise of innovation lies an ultra-profitable model which can pose real risks for children.

Imagine one school in which your child learns the fundamentals only two hours a day. Confronts History, mathematics or in French only through a screen and applications controlled by artificial intelligence. This is the promise of Alpha School, an American private school. Established in 2014 in Austin, Texas, it welcomes 250 students, from there kindergarten at the end of high school. But at the start of the school year, Alpha School will open around ten more structures in the country.

The formula appeals to children, who play two hours counting and tapping on a screen. The afternoon is devoted to all kinds of activities inspired by the American dream. Young people learn in particular “entrepreneurship” and “how to manage your money”. For this 100% teacherless formula – only an adult chaperone is present, parents must pay 40,000 dollars per year (or more than 34,000 euros).

Teachers with prostheses

Across the Atlantic, the use of artificial intelligence in schools is on the rise. The President of the United States Donald Trump also signed a decree encouraging its use in schools. A worrying slope for the country’s teachers, already burned by an administration whose vice President designated them as his “enemies”. However, “by removing the teacher, we eliminate a large part of the learning that takes place with mirror neurons [and therefore by imitation], emotions and through an attachment figure”, analyzes Céline Gainet. Many studies show that you don’t learn the same way with a paper book or in front of a screen. The first has a weight, a touch, a noise. But we learn with all our senses”, underlines the teacher-researcher in educational sciences at Sorbonne University, specialist in the challenges of integrating AI into education.

Especially since we learn “much more things while being in a classroom than theorems, numbers or vocabulary words”, adds Laurence Devillers, professor of computer science and AI specialist. The co-author of the report Conversational agents: Ethical issues cites in particular a “sense of effort” which could be weakened by AI used as a “prosthesis”. Most studies show that 80 to 90% of students drop out of online courses before completing them. “Learning alone behind a screen requires colossal maturity. High-level athletes have a real coach, not an AI to outperform”, illustrates Céline Gainet.

“An ultra-profitable business model”

Alpha School’s motivations could prove more prosaic. If an adult is therefore present alongside the children during their two hours of learning, it is not a teacher. The teachers are obviously not perfect, but they are there to adapt to the child. If we take that away, we take away a lot of the learning. Parents probably have the impression of sending their children to the best school, especially given the price, when it may be a scam, asks Laurence Devillers.

Most private schools are much less expensive than Alpha School, with average tuition fees being 14,973 dollars in 2025 in the United States (around 12,800 euros). Despite its cost, Alpha School does not employ any professors, whose median salary is 56,510 dollars per year (around 48,000 euros), preferring animators. This choice allows for an ultra-profitable business model, particularly interesting for private funds. If it didn’t contravene my values, I would invest, laughs Céline Gainet, before regaining her seriousness. Sometimes profitability outweighs the interests of children. ”

An AI-powered teddy bear

Within the walls of Alpha School, children aged 4 to 18 study. However, screens are particularly criticized when it comes to toddlers. “Before 6 years old, it’s really a bad idea to put children in front of screens, insists Laurence Devillers. Today, we are seeing harmful applications flourish for toddlers, such as Open AI which offers AI combined with teddy bears or dolls Barbie ! In this context, we can legitimately be concerned about the personal and emotional development of children. ”

For Céline Gainet, Alpha School demonstrates “clientelism” by offering an “easy solution” to parents. “Imagine that humans can learn only through AI, that’s very misleading. Look at Duolingo, it’s good, but it’s not at all the same level as a language teacher! “As for whether such a model could set up shop in France, Laurence Devillers has little faith in it. “We are more hermetic, but we need to demystify these tools by explaining to young people what artificial intelligence really does. Tell them that these are tools that you should not be gullible about. “A caution which, however, is probably not taught within Alpha School.