Wei Cui

While pursuing his doctoral degree at the National University of Ireland, Wei Cui studied under Professor Michael O’Neill and Professor Anthony Brabazon, top scientists in the field of artificial intelligence and evolutionary computing in the world. After returning to China, Dr. Cui joined an education company, Yixue Education, as its chief scientist.

Dr. Cui developed the first AI-powered adaptive learning system for K-12 students in China. The system provides personalized education. It intelligently diagnoses gaps in students’ knowledge and provides customized learning solutions by recommending suitable learning content and planning optimal learning paths to maximize learning efficiency. Its diagnosis method efficiently and precisely assesses students' weaknesses and areas that require improvement. For example, a diagnosis that involves 5000 knowledge points requires students to answer about 200 questions, which allows the learning tool to identify areas in which the student is struggling. During the learning process, it continuously evaluates students’ skill levels and proficiencies in real time and adjusts subsequent learning content accordingly.

The techniques used to develop the system include bayesian network, bayesian knowledge tracing, information theory, machine learning, graph theory, knowledge space theory, genetic algorithm, neural network, and fuzzy logic. Rigorous experiments have shown that this system was more effective than human teachers. The results of these experiments have been published as academic papers and presented at international conferences including AIED (International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Education), CSEDU (International Conference on Computer Supported Education) and AERA (American Educational Research Association) Annual Meeting. Nearly two million students across 300 cities in China have benefitted from the program and over 80% of students have improved their performance after using the system for one semester.