What's your name, how old are you and where do
you come from?
I am Andri Ioannou, and I am 40 years old. I am born and raised in Cyprus and i
live and work on this beautiful island
What do you do for a living?
I teach in Higher Education in the Department of multimedia and Graphic Arts of the Cyprus University
of Technology. I investigate the use of technology in teaching and learning, as a means for
innovation and change through the learners’ development of digital competencies and 21st century
skills.
What is your favorite thing about your job?
I love working with young people (undergraduate and graduate students) and helping to educate the
next generation getting them prepared to respond to the further digital innovations we will face in
the years to come, chatbots being one of them.
Can you remember the first time you met a chatbot?
I think it was a chatbot assistant when I was looking for a program of study at a university website
a few years ago. It was a cool experience and a helpful assistant until it could no longer take my
questions, therefore, directed me to a human for further inquiries.
How would you describe your current
relationship to chatbots?
Exploratory, I would say. Chatbots tricker my curiosity. I like to challenge them to see how far they
can respond to my questions. I use them only for professional purposes e.g., as assistants when I
search on the website of a university or a commercial website. I never had a more personal
conversation with a chatbot, and I doubt I could. The EX-Machina movie is a little intimidating if
one considers where chatbots and AI could be in the (very near?) future.
How do you believe students will engage with chatbots in the future?
Considering that game-playing AI created by Google, has beaten the world’s best chess-playing
computer program, makes me think that chatbots could really be used to challenge the most capable
learners whilst also assist and support those of need. From personal to academic support, I can see
chatbots becoming a unique tool in the fingers of the educator, enabling personalized and
differentiated learning experiences.
What are you hoping to get out from the Edubots project?
I am hoping to continue to learn about chatbots in education (and beyond) and learn with and from
other experts in this community.
