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UCLA Professor Debuts $25 AI Textbook, Boosts Engagement Amid Criticism

6/6/2026

Summary

Story summary

U.S. professor Zrinka Stahulja (UCLA) launched a $25 AI-assisted digital textbook for a medieval and Renaissance comparative literature course.
The Kudu platform fed her notes to an AI barred from external sources.
Students accessed a built-in chatbot for help, though it could not write papers or complete assignments.
Class engagement rose after the AI textbook’s use.
Critics called the experiment irresponsible and warned AI hallucinations could erode critical-thinking skills.

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Story summary

U.S. professor Zrinka Stahulja (UCLA) launched a $25 AI-assisted digital textbook for a medieval and Renaissance comparative literature course.
The Kudu platform fed her notes to an AI barred from external sources.
Students accessed a built-in chatbot for help, though it could not write papers or complete assignments.
Class engagement rose after the AI textbook’s use.
Critics called the experiment irresponsible and warned AI hallucinations could erode critical-thinking skills.