Fighting Fire with Fire: Scalable Oral Exams with an ElevenLabs Voice AI Agent (www.behind-the-enemy-lines.com)

In a novel approach to assessment, an AI-powered voice agent from ElevenLabs has been utilized to administer scalable oral exams in an "AI/ML Product Management" course. This innovation was prompted by concerns that traditional written assignments, often polished with the help of AI tools like LLMs, fail to accurately measure student understanding. By integrating a voice AI agent, educators could evaluate students in real-time, ensuring they can articulate and defend their work beyond simply submitting a written artifact. The flexibility of the ElevenLabs platform allowed the creation of tailored workflows that manage structured, focused discussions, thus addressing the pressing need for more effective evaluation methods in an era saturated with AI-assisted learning. The significance of this development lies in its potential to fundamentally reshape education assessment. In bypassing logistical hurdles associated with traditional oral exams, this AI solution allows for efficient, low-cost evaluations while still providing rich, constructive feedback and diagnosing teaching gaps. Data collected during the exam process reflected the effectiveness of AI in grading, revealing insights into both student performance and areas where teaching could improve. In essence, this experiment exemplifies a shift towards embracing AI not just as a learning tool, but as an integral component in enhancing educational practices and ensuring accountability in academic settings.