The shortage of teachers is a nationwide problem, which Saxony is also affected by. Various potential solutions to this problem are being discussed – one of them being Artificial Intelligence (AI). Starting from February 2025 until the end of the year, Prof. Birte Platow, Dr. Hermann Diebel-Fischer, and Martin Kutz from our research area Responsible AI are working together with Universität Siegen, Evangelisches Gymnasium Siegen-Weidenau, and Evangelisches Kreuzgymnasium Dresden to investigate the benefit of the AI-supported robot Navel in protestant religious education.

How does an AI-supported robot teach religious education and praying?

Navel has recently started his teaching activities in religious education at the Evangelisches Kreuzgymnasium in Dresden. In his first lesson, he helped teaching the difficult topic of praying. During the course of the lesson, Navel offered support, explaining both precisely and objectively and answering the students questions.

What Navel can’t do, however, is replace interpersonal contact between teachers and students. While the human teacher highlighted that Navel supported her in teaching in smaller groups and enabled her to focus more on individual students, the students rightfully noted that their human teacher is unparalleled in explaining lesson content in a child-friendly manner. But project Navel not only provides technical insights, it also raises fundamental questions about humanity. “Just by Navel being in the room, the children asked themselves: Who are we – humans – really, and what makes us who we are?”, says Prof. Birte Platow. By that alone, Navel has already done a great job. He’s inspired students, while also having been a helpful support for the human teacher.

You can find more information on Navel on the project page. Furthermore, the Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR) has reported on this research project. Find the full article and video report here.