About Colleague AI
Rooted in Rigorous AI & Educational Research and Innovation
Colleague AI is the spin-off from the University of Washington’s National Center for AI Use in Education, funded by the Institute of Educational Sciences under the U.S. Department of Education and the National Science Foundation. We are dedicated to enhancing K-12 education through our innovative, research-based AI platform. Developed in close collaboration with educators and learners, our specialized assistants are tailored to meet the real-world needs of next-generation learners.
A Seamless 3rd Agent in Student Learning
Our mission is to create a dynamic learning environment where AI, serving as a 3rd agent in student learning, seamlessly interacts with human educators and students, fostering collaborative, engaging, and personalized learning for all learners. By leveraging cutting-edge research and the collective expertise of education professionals, we aim to significantly improve students’ learning outcomes across all backgrounds and circumstances.
Colleague AI is Committed To:
Implementing Research-based Strategies
Our platform is built on a foundation of rigorous educational research, ensuring that every feature and interaction is grounded in proven pedagogical principles and continuously refined based on the latest findings in learning sciences.
Collaborative Design With Educators and Learners
Teachers, students, and school administrators are engaged in the technology development process, ensuring that Colleague AI is grounded in effective teaching, learning sciences, and addresses real classroom challenges and opportunities. This collaborative approach results in a platform that truly resonates with our users and seamlessly integrates into the educational ecosystem.
Improving Student Learning Outcomes
Everything we do is ultimately geared towards enhancing students’ academic achievement, critical thinking skills, social emotional health, and overall educational experience. We measure our success by the tangible improvements in student growth.
Championing Responsible AI
We are committed to increasing transparency in our AI processes, actively addressing and mitigating bias, creating open access policies, and ensuring equitable access to high-quality education for all learners. Our responsible AI practices are integral to our mission of fostering trust and fairness in educational technology.
Through these commitments, Colleague AI aspires to be a trusted partner in educational innovation, offering every learner a fully personalized learning pathway–aligned to their strengths, goals, and AI workforce opportunities.
Our Story
Research projects at UW focused on specialized AI/ML model developments and initial prototyping with educators, supported by a National Science Foundation (NSF) PFT-TT award.
A university-industry partnership between UW and Hensun Innovation LLC started to engineer educator-facing version and conducted user testing with 20 educators, supported by a NSF CORE award.
Colleague AI soft launched and span off from the UW as an independent entity, managed by Hensun Innovation LLC.
Hensun Innovation received NSF SBIR Phase I award to further develop Colleague AI.
Colleague AI supports thousands of educators nationwide.
Student-facing version was released with overwhelmingly positive response.
Unlimited AI Tools for Administrators
AI isn’t just useful for teachers – it can be invaluable for administrators too. Check out some of our AI tools for school admins.
Custom AI for Your Schools
From giving our AI models your own school and district documents, to memory that knows you and your students.
Questions? Contact Us!
To speak with a member of the Colleague AI team, or if you have questions, contact us.
