In winter 2025, UCLA's comparative literature classes will feature AI-generated textbooks, homework, and TA resources.
The lesson in question is a survey of literature from the Middle Ages to the 17th century, and the material is generated by Kudu. Kudu is an “evolved” textbook platform founded by Alexander Kusenko, a professor of physics and astronomy at UCLA. According to the university, this will be the first class in the humanities department to use materials developed by Kudu.
To create these materials, Professor Zrinka Stahuljak provided Kudu with class notes, PowerPoint presentations, and YouTube videos from previous versions. The course creation process can take three to four months, but UCLA says professors' commitments should be limited to 20 hours (and Kudu will compensate professors for their time).
Stahuljak said this approach frees up time for her and TAs to work more closely with students and allows them to deliver course material more consistently. Students can also ask Kudu questions about the material. The answer comes only from the material provided by the professor, not from the entire internet.