While an advanced education in technology often leads to a lucrative Silicon Valley job, for Perpetual Baffour, it’s led to a career improving education for all students, in all fields, from kindergarten through college. As research director at the nonprofit Learning Agency Lab, she studies how technology can improve the educational process—including using artificial intelligence to tailor the experience for both student and teacher. With a master’s degree in computer and information technology from the University of Pennsylvania, Baffour served as a fellow at the university’s Center for Community Partnerships, then a researcher at the Center for American Progress. But she found her calling in education, first as a data analyst at the School District of Philadelphia, then joining the Learning Agency in 2018.
The organization runs competitions for data scientists developing technologies to improve the educational experience. In 2023, it released a case study showing that AI can now evaluate and provide feedback on short student essays as well as a teacher can. The goal is not to replace teachers, but to complement the work of overstretched educators. In that vein, Baffour encourages everyone to, “advocate for responsible AI in education, where these technologies are built alongside teachers and students for fairness, transparency, and inclusivity.”
