Inside the Classroom of the Future: How SP Jain's AI Tutor Transforms Student Success

Khaleej Times

11 hours ago

Its proprietary AI Tutor, named AI-ELT, built in-house and trained on the school's own curriculum, doesn't hand out answers. It questions. It adapts. It pushes. Weak students are lifted step by step until they catch up. Strong students are challenged with tougher scenarios until they stretch. The result is a class that arrives prepared, debates instead of listens, and graduates that land roles faster and with an edge employers can see immediately.
In this exclusive conversation with Khaleej Times, Nitish Jain, Founder and President of SP Jain Global, explains why the school bet on building its own AI, how it is reshaping the professor–student dynamic, and why it could mark a turning point in global business education.
Edited excerpts:
Question:
What inspired SP Jain Global to develop its own AI Tutor instead of relying on third-party platforms like ChatGPT or other EdTech tools?
Answer:
Because generic AI is built for everyone, which means it's built for no one. ChatGPT is brilliant for broad use, not for teaching a specific course, to a specific standard, with academic accountability. We needed precision.
Our brief was simple. The tutor must know our curriculum line by line. It must teach by asking, not spoon-feeding. It must ground every response in our course material and learning outcomes. It must flag gaps, adapt in real time, and show faculty exactly where a class is struggling before they walk in.
Off-the-shelf tools can't give us that control. They can't align to our rubrics. They don't meet our requirements on data privacy, academic integrity, or traceability. And they won't be redesigned because one school asks nicely.
If you want real change, you don't rent it. You build it and you make it accountable.
Question:
SP Jain Global has been a pioneer in integrating AI into education. How does your AI Tutor personalize learning for students?
Answer:
Take two students walking into the same finance class. One already understands discounted cash flows. The other struggles with the basics. In a traditional classroom setup, the first is bored and the second is lost. With AI-ELT, both get exactly what they need.
For the lost student, the tutor won't let them drift. It forces them to a minimum level of understanding, then builds step by step. From level 2 to 4 to 6 to 10, until they can keep pace with the rest of the class.
For the bored student, it doesn't let them coast. It raises the bar. 'How would you apply this in a different market?', 'What happens if interest rates double?' It challenges them to go deeper, to think beyond the obvious.
That's personalisation. Not handholding, not shortcuts, but stretching every student to their true potential. The results are visible. Class participation is up by 80%. 70% say they are better prepared for exams. Where graduates once needed four interviews to secure an offer, today it takes just two. That's as low as it gets!
Question:
What role does human faculty play in conjunction with the AI Tutor? Does it supplement or challenge traditional teaching methods?
Answer:
Think of it this way: the AI builds the muscle, but the faculty teach students how to fight.
The tutor handles the basics, drilling students until they've grasped the core concepts before class. That frees professors to stop lecturing and start challenging: 'Good, you know the theory. Now apply it to a new market. What if regulations change overnight? How do you defend this to a board that doesn't agree with you?'
The classroom shifts from listening to engagement. Students debate against concepts, against each other, against the faculty.
That's where real learning happens. Faculty are no longer repeating definitions or filling hours; they're stretching minds and asking the kinds of questions no AI can with human nuance.
Question:
How does SP Jain's AI Tutor support the UAE's vision for artificial intelligence?
Answer:
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed is a true visionary. He recognised early on that for the UAE to lead globally, its people must develop a deep understanding and appreciation of AI. Our AI Tutor is a direct expression of that vision in action. We didn't import a tool off the shelf; we built one ourselves, trained it on our curriculum, and aligned it with the standards we demand of our students. It's proof that the UAE can create and apply its own AI to solve real challenges in education.
And we're not limiting this to our business school students. AI-ELT is being extended to high schools, including those serving underprivileged communities, with hardware, software, and training provided free of cost. Students who might otherwise be left out of the AI revolution are getting equal access to cutting-edge tools, learning not just to use AI but to think critically with it.
This is exactly what His Highness envisioned: technology that empowers, includes, and builds confidence in the next generation.
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