Macquarie University Replaces 2 Psychology Classes With AI Chatbot as Student Backlash Grows
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Sep 1
Macquarie University Replaces 2 Psychology Classes With AI Chatbot as Student Backlash Grows
2 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Sep 1
Summary
$2,174-a-subject psychology units at Macquarie have dropped in-person classes in favor of online materials, quizzes and a “Virtual Peer” chatbot, with only optional Zoom tutorials left for human interaction.
The university says the AI tool supplements core learning rather than replacing teachers, noting tutors still run six weekly sessions for 400 students in one unit and 10 for 700 in another.
One student said they felt “short-changed” after being forced into the online option, while an academic studying AI in higher education said she had not seen universities both cut face-to-face teaching and introduce chatbots at once.
Macquarie plans to restore in-person classes in alternate semesters from 2027, but the shift comes as AI teaching expands across Australian universities and staff unions push for protections against workload growth and job losses.