AI is changing how we think about and build learning products. Learnosity’s AI Labs is the team tasked with rising to the challenge. Here, data scientist Sean McCrossan reveals more about his team’s work and vision for AI-native assessment formats.
What do you do at Learnosity?
I’m a data scientist on the AI Labs team, where I evaluate which prompts and models work best for different use cases. I also dedicate much of my time to researching and prototyping new AI-driven products in the assessment space.
How did you first get into AI? What was it that most appealed to you?
In my final year of college, a machine learning course and Federico Pistono’s Robots Will Steal Your Job, but That’s OK (scary title) changed my career path. I was originally set on finance after a summer at a hedge fund, but these experiences introduced me to data science.
I began my career as an analytics consultant and later joined a company focused on augmented analytics—an early form of AI.
The real breakthrough came with ChatGPT 3.5. Having worked with neural networks, I was blown away by the power of transformer architectures.
What appeals to me most is the opportunity to work with technology that not only pushes the boundaries of innovation but also makes a positive impact—especially in assessment, where it benefits both teachers and students.
What appeals to me most is the opportunity to work with technology that not only pushes the boundaries of innovation but also makes a positive impact—especially in assessment, where it benefits both teachers and students.
The AI Labs team is leading an exciting new era of innovation for Learnosity, and things are moving fast. What’s your experience been like so far?
My experience has been fantastic—there’s a real startup vibe where we’re rapidly building and testing prototypes. The team is diverse and enthusiastic, with regular knowledge-sharing sessions and close collaboration that make joining a new team feel seamless.
We’ve overcome challenges through open communication, leveraging our varied experiences to drive innovation. Overall, it’s been incredibly rewarding to experiment with emerging technologies while helping position Learnosity as a leader in AI for assessment.
The team has another new product on the way. Can you tell us a little about what it is and why it’s exciting?
Item Bank Health Check (IBHC) modernizes outdated item banks by rewriting questions that may use archaic or possibly offensive language. IBHC also helps with accessibility by using vision language models to add alt text for images. This process updates legacy content to meet modern standards and improve accessibility.
IBHC is ideal for clients with extensive historical content who have been reluctant to use their old item banks due to concerns about bias. By refreshing these materials, IBHC enables customers to access a more diverse, modern, and engaging set of assessment items.
Item Bank Health Check modernizes outdated item banks by rewriting questions…[it] enables customers to access a more diverse, modern, and engaging set of assessment items.
Give us one big change you believe AI will have on assessment in the near-ish future?
AI is poised to fundamentally transform assessment by moving beyond merely enhancing traditional question types to creating entirely new, AI-native assessment formats.
While we’re already using AI to refine existing methods, the real breakthrough will come as models become more cost-effective and efficient—enabling multiple, dynamic interactions with AI agents.
This evolution promises more adaptive, personalized, and interactive assessments, ultimately reshaping how learning and evaluation occur for all stakeholders.
Learn about Feedback Aide: AI-assisted essay scoring and feedback 👇
Click to read Feedback Aide—An overview
