Great Learning, one of the global leaders in professional learning and upskilling, is leveraging AI to chart the next phase of its growth with the launch of AI Mentor and AI Teacher under the umbrella brand Glaide— a combination of ‘GL’ (Great Learning), ‘AI’ and ‘aide’. These AI innovations are set to transform the overall digital learning experience, making high-quality education personalised, accessible, affordable and scalable for learners worldwide.
Built upon OpenAI, with the AI Mentor, every learner gets their own personal learning coach to support them through their learning journey at every step, says Mohan Lakhamraju, Co-founder of Great Learning during the launch adding that high-quality learning is tough.
Great Learning, which was once acquired by the now-beleaguered edtech firm Byju’s—currently undergoing insolvency proceedings—fully bought itself back last year. In October 2024, the company announced a 23% year-on-year revenue growth to $118 million for FY24. Both EBITDA and net profit remained positive for the fiscal year, according to the company.
As an upskilling platform, Great Learning never branded itself under Byju’s, as both catered to different segments of learners. Lakhamraju notes that they faced no challenges from customers, either during their association with Byju’s or after parting ways. Now, the company is playing big on AI.
As shown during the presentation, the AI Mentor provides real-time support to any queries by dropping intelligent hints to nudge learners towards the correct solution without revealing the answer directly. It also makes them job-ready through AI-driven mock interviews to simulate real-world job interview scenarios, which help learners build their confidence to crack interviews.
Since its rollout across select cohorts of learners over the past few months, the AI Mentor has made a significant impact, with over 400,000 coding hints generated, 130,000 learner queries resolved, and 300+ mock interviews conducted.
The AI Teacher, on the other hand, is a breakthrough innovation, giving a highly personalised, and interactive learning experience. It customises the lessons based on learners’ context, evaluates their understanding, identifies knowledge gaps, and provides valuable feedback on their progress—just like a human teacher would. This is all in addition to the guidance and mentorship from industry experts and faculty that learners already have access to as part of Great Learning’s ‘Mentored learning’ model.
Commenting on the launch, Lakhamraju said: “Great teachers are few and most learners never get to experience the magic of learning from them. This is what we are trying to solve using AI. We are leveraging AI to bring that same magic of great teachers to everyone. As AI advances further, we will continue to push boundaries, making high-quality education more accessible, affordable, and impactful for learners everywhere.”
Discussing AI’s role in shaping the edtech space and the potential for errors in learning, Lakhamraju emphasises that AI, like human teachers, is not infallible. While AI itself does not make mistakes, inaccuracies can occur if incorrect data is fed into the system. This underscores the need for diligence—just as human errors have consequences, so too can poorly trained AI. To mitigate this, robust processes and systems are in place to ensure accuracy.
But does this mean a human touch is still necessary in education? Absolutely. While AI can generate content, human oversight remains crucial. Every AI-generated output undergoes careful review, as the confidence to rely entirely on AI without human intervention is not yet there. At this stage, human oversight is an indispensable part of the process.
Edtech companies are increasingly leveraging AI through virtual teachers and mentors, but how learners will perceive this shift remains an open question. So far, Great Learning has catered to 12 million students, offering courses priced between ₹1,500 and ₹4,000.
Over the coming months and years, Great Learning will roll out its AI-powered learning experiences to newer and larger audiences.