INTRODUCTION

Education stands at a critical inflection point. FFor centuries, the fundamental model of instruction has never changed: a teacher delivers knowledge to a group of students, working to engage each individual while managing multiple learners at once. New technology has introduced incremental improvements, but this core dynamic has remained the same.

Today, agentic (self-directed) artificial intelligence offers us the opportunity to fundamentally transform the learning experience. AI video tutors, represent the convergence of cutting-edge technologies—natural language processing, computer vision, emotional intelligence algorithms, and adaptive learning systems—potentially giving every student access to a dedicated, tireless, and infinitely patient personal instructor.

My Journey: From the Classroom to AI Video Tutors

As an award-winning educational filmmaker, I've recently begun exploring the creation of AI video tutors, and the possibilities are extraordinary (see my LEONARDO AI VIDEO TUTOR prototype). Teaching and learning have always been my passions. When I was eight years old, my family moved to Argentina, where I spent three formative years at the Lincoln American School. From second through fifth grade, I not only became fluent in Spanish but, more importantly, learned how to learn. I was taught how to take good notes, ask good questions (which nurtures curiosity), and be reflective (make improvements through self-evaluation). I thrived in an environment that celebrated creativity guided by exceptional teachers who recognized each student's unique strengths and challenges and inspired us to excel. Now, over five decades later, AI video tutors can teach and provide even greater personalized attention to students everywhere.

My commitment to education deepened during college summers when I taught at St. Lawrence University's Upward Bound program, helping Akwesasne Mohawk reservation students become the first in their families to attend college. After earning my Fine Arts degree in filmmaking in 1983, I taught video production two nights a week at Boston's Academy of Television Arts while substitute teaching during the day throughout the city's public schools. These experiences profoundly shaped my understanding of effective teaching and course design.

In 1984, I returned to St. Lawrence as Assistant Director of Upward Bound while pursuing a Master's in Education, driven by an ambitious vision to transform public education. That same year, I became a creative technology pioneer with the newly released Macintosh computer, quickly mastering the platform and teaching a few students computer animation and graphic design. This expertise led to a corporate training position at Booz Allen in New York City in 1987, where I trained over 200 professionals to use their first computers—an experience that provided invaluable insights into professional instruction and Fortune 500 business practices. It was like getting a PhD in real-world corporate affairs. I taught all the executives and middle management how to overcome their fear of technology and be more productive.

Pioneering Digital Education

In 1988, I founded Applied Imagination, one of the world's first interactive digital agencies. My work with Apple Computer, helping their Wall Street clients master new technology and create animated business presentations, positioned me at the forefront of digital innovation.

A pivotal moment came in 1992 when legendary filmmaker, George Lucas, sought Apple's recommendation for someone to lead his new educational foundation, Edutopia. I was recommended, had a successful interview, and was offered the job. While deeply honored by both Apple’s recommendation and Lucas’s offer, I made the difficult decision to remain in New York City. This choice proved fortuitous: in 1993 when I won the $100,000 McGraw-Hill New Media Design Contest, beating industry giants including Sony, Time Warner, IBM, HBO, and Apple. My victory stemmed from ground-breaking educational software developed in collaboration with professors at NYU and Hunter College. Throughout the 1990s, I continued pushing technological boundaries. In 1994, I worked on Microsoft CD-ROM projects about Frank Lloyd Wright and Scientific American's "The Planets." In 1999, I was invited to teach multimedia at Harvard and then got recruited to work at iCast.com, the world's first online entertainment website led by former NBC CEO Neil Braun. As Senior Art Director, I assembled a creative team of recent Rhode Island School of Design graduates and broke new multimedia ground on the web. We earned industry awards for our John Lennon digital video website and a revolutionary no-code website builder. Thousands of unknown musical groups and filmmakers could establish an internet presence in minutes. Though my $3.5 million in stock options vanished in the 2000 dot-com crash, the whole experience proved invaluable.

Now in 2025, with a successful career in documentary filmmaking, multimedia course design, iTunes University ebook publishing, and producing podcasts, I am embracing yet another digital frontier: AI Video Tutors.

I'm particularly excited about HeyGen Interactive's recent breakthrough: AI-powered Interactive Avatars that conduct real-time, two-way conversations both visually and verbally. These customizable avatars can look and sound like real people, powered by large language models (LLMs) and knowledge bases like Claude.ai. We can now create sophisticated AI video tutors, that deliver more effective, equitable, and engaging educational experiences to learners of all ages in virtually any language all over the world. AI video tutors are empowering teachers.

As we explore these transformative technologies, I encourage you to balance optimism about their potential with serious consideration of their challenges. The future of education may well be shaped by how thoughtfully we integrate AI video tutors into our current learning environments. These are indeed very, very exciting times (see my LEONARDO AI VIDEO TUTOR prototype)!

—John Pritchard, Williamstown, MA, June 3, 2025
Special thanks to my AI research assistant, Claude.ai, for helping me write these articles.

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