AI Innovator Spotlight: Nicolaas Matthijs from at Anthology
In today's Conversational AI Innovator Spotlight, we're meeting Nicholaas Matthijs, Chief Product Officer of Anthology. I've asked Nicholaas to give us an overview of how he and the Anthology team are using Conversational AI in their services - in particular, a look at how they're using it in their market-leading BlackBoard service.
Over to you Nicholaas:
AI has revolutionised many industries over the past few decades, but its impact on education has been slower to materialise. The complexity of educational data – often sparse, unstructured, and dominated by natural language – posed significant challenges for traditional AI techniques. Generative AI, however, is breaking through these limitations, bringing vast opportunities to reshape how we learn and teach. Yet, with this promise comes new challenges and risks that the education sector must address.
About Anthology: Anthology empowers students and educational institutions worldwide with innovative technology solutions designed to enhance learning and drive success. Our flagship platforms, including the award-winning Blackboard® (VLE), support millions of students around the world throughout their educational journeys. We’re committed to making education more accessible and impactful, ensuring that every learner can reach their full potential in today’s dynamic digital landscape.
Blackboard’s AI Conversation Tool
All new technologies encounter challenges, just as AI does today. In the 1970s, calculators were initially feared to undermine analytical skills, yet they’ve since become essential in education. Similarly, AI has the potential to reshape learning and serve as a powerful tool in the classroom.
As students prepare for a future where Generative AI will be a critical workplace tool, it's essential that they gain hands-on experience with it during their education. The recently launched AI Conversation Tool in Blackboard is designed to promote AI literacy, helping students understand both the strengths and limitations of these technologies. By engaging with AI in a responsible, pedagogically sound way, students can develop the skills needed to navigate and critically assess the role of AI in various fields.
Educators can create AI personas with names, avatars, and distinct traits to lead these discussions. These AI personas can be anything from experts to fictitious characters to historical figures. For example, a teacher might create an Emmeline Pankhurst persona to lead a guided conversation on the British suffragette movement, allowing students to delve into the social and political dynamics of early 20th-century women's rights.
Moreover, in an architecture class, an educator might create a Frank Gehry persona to spark discussions on innovative design concepts, pushing students to think creatively and critically. By integrating AI into the learning experience, students are not only exposed to diverse perspectives but also encouraged to develop skills that are crucial for the future workforce.
The AI Conversation tool is guided by our Trustworthy AI Framework, ensuring responsible use and fostering AI literacy. After each activity, students engage in a reflection component, prompting them to critically assess both the content and AI’s role in the conversation. This process helps students become more aware of responsible AI use, encouraging them to spot potential biases or errors in AI responses. Teachers retain full control over the tool, with the ability to review conversations.
Vision for the future of AI technology
The future of AI technology in education holds tremendous opportunities, and Anthology is dedicated to harnessing these innovations to enhance course design and improve the student experience. However, we recognise that the rapid adoption of AI also brings significant risks and challenges, including concerns around hallucinations, data privacy, bias and environmental impact.
Looking ahead, we are excited to explore how conversational AI can play a pivotal role in supporting students and providing an accessible platform for learning and personal growth.
About Nicolaas Matthijs
As Chief Product Officer, Nicolaas leads the product strategy for Anthology’s holistic EdTech ecosystem. He is passionate about helping solve the needs of students, instructors and institutions around the world and delivering high quality, enjoyable and innovative product experiences.
Nicolaas has nearly 20 years of experience in EdTech, having worked for several institutions around the world. He was the co-founder of Fronteer, developing Ally, a revolutionary tool that helps institutions make their course materials more accessible for all learners. Following the acquisition of Fronteer by Blackboard, Nicolaas joined the organisation as Product Director for Ally before leading the Product Management team for Anthology’s Learning Management System.
He holds a degree in Artificial Intelligence and Natural Language Processing from the University of Cambridge.
Youc an find out more about Nicholaas on LinkedIn:
Nicolaas Matthijs
