AI School Alpha School Makes Students Buy X Premium, Farm 100 Followers, Wear Heart Monitors
benjaminjriley · x · 2026-09-09
Education writer and cognitive scientist Benjamin Riley published a scathing look inside Alpha School, a private US K-12 company selling an AI-based teaching model. To enroll, high schoolers must pass an eight-week 'bootcamp' that reads more like hazing: students must create a fresh X account, gain at least 100 organic followers, pay for X Premium, and post an unknown number of substantive replies to bigger accounts—'Great post' replies don't count.
Per Futurism, the school also hooks children up to heart monitors in front of the class while playing critiques of their work, drawing accusations that there is 'an absence of any moral compass.' Riley says he consulted national education reporters, who agreed public tweets by students are fair game to report, and noted critics worried about his reporting's emotional impact but not the activities themselves.
Related event: Alpha School 'Bootcamp' Exposé Sparks Public Debate Over AI Education(32 posts)→
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