By Dr. William Swartout, Chief Science Officer, USC ICT
Dr. William Swartout has been involved in cutting edge research and development of artificial intelligence systems for over 50 years. He is an AAAI Fellow, and received the Robert Engelmore Award from the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) for seminal contributions to knowledge-based systems and explanation, groundbreaking research on virtual human technologies and their applications, and outstanding service to the artificial intelligence community.
For decades, artificial intelligence has been surrounded by an aura of myth and speculation. AI is either hailed as the harbinger of an automated utopia or condemned as a looming existential threat. But in my 50+ year academic career—spanning knowledge-based systems, virtual human technologies, and AI-driven education—I have learned that the truth is neither so grand nor so grim. The real question is not whether AI will change our world but how we can shape that change to serve us best.
This is precisely the mission of the Artificial Intelligence Research Center of Excellence for Education (AIRCOEE). Funded through a Congressional grant for $4.5 million dollars, AIRCOEE is not about AI hype—it is about real, working AI solutions for education and training.
Our focus is clear: equipping both military personnel and civilians with the knowledge they need to engage critically with AI. We aim to foster an AI-literate population that understands what AI can and cannot do, ensuring that decision-makers, instructors, and learners alike can separate genuine innovation from empty promises. We believe that AI literacy is critical.
The Need for AI Education and Upskilling
AI is already integral to our national security and economic competitiveness. Yet, our workforce and military personnel often have only a surface-level understanding of how AI functions. Compounding this challenge, AI technology is advancing at an exponential pace, far outstripping traditional education models.
The AI superiority gap is not just about developing more advanced AI—it is also about ensuring that people know how to use AI effectively. We believe that AI literacy is critical to prepare people for the jobs of the twenty-first century and to allow them to participate knowledgeably in discussions and decisions about how and when AI should best be used.
At AIRCOEE, we are tackling this challenge head-on with a three-pronged approach:
- Learning AI Using AI – Personalized AI tutors that adapt to each learner’s needs.
- AI-Accelerated Training Development – AI-driven tools to update training materials rapidly.
- Enhancing Thinking with AI – AI-assisted writing and reasoning tools to improve critical thinking.
Achievements to Date
Our efforts are not theoretical. AIRCOEE has already delivered impactful tools, including:
1. PAL3: The Personal Assistant for Life-Long Learning
One of our flagship projects, PAL3, is a mobile and web-based AI tutor designed to upskill learners in AI itself. PAL3 provides interactive tutoring dialogs, AI-generated code hints, and self-regulated learning support.
PAL3 is designed to prevent skill decay and provide continuous learning in an engaging, interactive way. By integrating principles of learning science and gamification, we have made AI education not just effective but also enjoyable. Military applications of PAL3 have shown significant knowledge retention improvements, even when used on a volutary basis, ensuring that soldiers and officers remain well-versed in AI competencies between formal training sessions.
Used in military upskilling programs, ensuring that service members stay ahead of emerging AI capabilities, the latest iteration of PAL 3, known as Game-If-AI, is now available on Google Play and Apple’s App Store and has received excellent results. The first prototype of the system was piloted in the Spring 2023 semester as an optional assignment in the USC Basics of Artificial Intelligence course (ITP 259). In a post-survey, students rated the system strongly positively, reporting that it increased their learning (92% of respondents, mean 4.62 out of 6) and that the system was a good idea overall (83%, 4.63 out of 6).
2. AI-Assisted Revisions for Curricula (ARC)
Updating training materials to reflect the latest doctrine and best practices is a time-consuming process—one that the Army struggles to keep up with. Our ARC tool is designed to change that:
- It automatically analyzes and flags outdated content in lesson plans, manuals, and training slides.
- Initially planned for two test sites, interest skyrocketed, leading to deployment across seven Army training centers, including Fires CoE, Quartermaster, and Medical.
- Army educators report that ARC increases productivity significantly (average rating 5.5/6).
- ARC is currently a prototype that when deployed will save hundreds of hours of manual curriculum updates, allowing educators to focus on teaching.
ARC is not just about efficiency—it is about ensuring that education remains relevant in a rapidly evolving battlefield. By leveraging AI, the Army can adapt faster, ensuring that personnel receive the most up-to-date training possible.
3. AI for Critical Thinking: Army Writing Enhancement (AWE)
As part of the Center’s effort, working with the faculty at the Army University, we have developed the Army Writing Enhancement (AWE) tool to help soldiers improve their writing. One might imagine that such a tool would be used to support student’s writing directly, that is, to use generative AI to write the essay for the student. The danger with that approach is that by encouraging students to delegate writing to the generative AI, they would abrogate their own critical thinking, resulting in an essay that they might not completely understand or be able to defend. To avoid such an outcome, we have restructured the problem and flipped things inside out: rather than using generative AI as a writer, it is used before students ever start writing to support brainstorming about the topic of the essay. Then the student writes the essay. After they have finished a draft, generative AI is again used, not as a writer, but as a reader, to read and critique their essay at a high level, offering suggestions about how it could be improved.
Some specific features and benefits of AWE:
- Guides soldiers through argument construction and improves logical reasoning in military writing.
- Integrates with Google Docs and Office 365 for seamless adoption.
- Pilot testing at Fort Leavenworth, with plans for a 1,000-soldier study in Fall 2025.
- Students report improved writing skills that persist even after using the tool.
- Encourages deeper engagement with writing by acting as an AI-powered peer reviewer.
The Army Writing Tool is built on the principle that better writing leads to better thinking. By structuring arguments, identifying weaknesses, and providing real-time feedback, AWE is helping shape stronger communicators and leaders.
Scaling Impact: Next Steps for AIRCOEE
We are now poised to take AIRCOEE’s innovations to the next level. Our upcoming objectives include:
- Scaling PAL3 for widespread civilian and military use, ensuring AI upskilling is available to all.
- Expanding ARC’s capabilities to further automate training content updates, saving thousands of instructional hours.
- Advancing AI-driven critical thinking tools, helping learners not just absorb information but challenge and refine their ideas.
- Enhancing the Army Writing Tool with additional AI-driven analytics, making writing training even more effective.
- Developing new AI-assisted tutoring systems to improve knowledge retention across STEM and humanities disciplines.
AI Reality: A Future Built on Education and Research
As an AI researcher, I have always been fascinated by turning science fiction into reality. While I do not subscribe to dystopian AI narratives, I firmly believe that AI must be understood, guided, and regulated responsibly. To achieve this, I see three essential pillars:
- Education – AI literacy is no longer optional; it is a necessity.
- Regulation – AI applications should be certified, much like aviation and pharmaceuticals.
- Ongoing Research – Continued AI advancements must be accompanied by ethical considerations and increased transparency and explainability.
AIRCOEE embodies this philosophy, ensuring that AI serves as a force multiplier for human learning and decision-making. With the right tools, policies, and education, AI can be a catalyst for progress rather than a source of confusion or misplaced fears.
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