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Building an educated human being isn’t like putting someone on an assembly line and pushing the “on” button.
Placing a teacher in front of 30 students in a classroom and expecting everyone to learn the same information, at the same speed, at the same level, has never been realistic – especially in 2021, where students have more access to information and experiences than any other point in human history. It’s not a fair expectation, which is why Riiid Labs exists: to even the playing field by using cutting-edge technology to include as many learners as possible. Instead of counting on one big education system and hoping no one falls through the cracks – and they always do – Riiid Labs wants to design individualized education assembly plans, based on the needs of each unique learner.
“Riiid Labs is an artificial intelligence (AI) enablement company, which means we provide AI expertise and capabilities to help companies, schools, universities, and other organizations that have learning, advising, and assessment data, and want to improve learning,” says Jim Larimore, Riiid Labs’ Chief Officer for Equity in Learning. “Our AI helps to improve learning outcomes by making the learning process more personalized and adaptive, and by strengthening learner engagement.”
Riiid Labs’ technology allows honest assessment of a student’s needs and strengths, in almost any learning environment, then builds each learner their own path to the most efficient learning imaginable.
It’s right there, in the unconventional name of a company (three I’s?), powered by some of the best brains in education and technology on either side of the Pacific Ocean. “We are a team of people from diverse backgrounds who have come together in pursuit of our founder’s vision to leverage Inequality, Inefficiency, and Inconsistency in the learning process, which is represented by the three I’s in our name,” Larimore said. “It serves as a daily reminder of what we are here to do.” Riiid was founded in South Korea in 2014, with the company’s global arm expanding to Silicon Valley as Riiid Labs just before the pandemic struck, which only further asserted the incredible value of personalized learning.
The company’s proprietary technology is based on deep learning algorithms. It analyzes user data and content, predicts scores (with a 95+ percent accuracy rate!) and learners’ behavior, and recommends personalized study plans in real-time. Riiid Labs focus is to deliver the company’s AI-in-education tech power to edtech, publishing, education, and training providers. “We give our clients access to leading-edge AI expertise and capabilities, to make their products and services better, improving both efficiency and financial performance,” said Larimore, whose education credentials include stints at Stanford, Dartmouth, the Gates Foundation, NYU, ACT, and others. “And we do it faster and more economically than they could do it themselves, because we specialize in AI. We work with clients and partners across the learning ecosystem.”
Though Riiid Labs partners with companies that specialize in education, there’s one main goal.
“Ultimately, we serve the public by improving access to high-quality, personalized, and adaptive learning experiences,” Larimore said. “We accomplish that goal by working with, and through, a diverse array of clients and partners who, in turn, work to enable access, equity, and success in education and the workplace.” The goal is to democratize learning, so it’s no longer just society’s elite who can afford personalization. Reputable names in education, such as Kaplan, now partner with Riiid to move education into the future. Riiid Labs is about the best in technology, and the best of intentions: creating rich learning environments for as many people as possible. And they’re just getting started.