A new open-source AI tool is redefining what AI assistance in education looks like. Einstein, created by the startup Companion, goes beyond just generating answers for homework assignments. It does it for you.  

According to its creators, Einstein operates through its own virtual computer. It can open a browser, navigate class pages, watch lecture videos, read PDFs and essays, write papers, complete quizzes and post replies in discussion boards. Once connected to a student's account, the system can monitor deadlines and automatically submit assignments. Unlike chatbots that respond when prompted, Einstein functions more like a digital stand-in for a human student. After setup, it can run in the background with little ongoing input.

Essentially, it takes over your role as a student and completes coursework on your behalf.

"Students are already using AI. We're just giving them a better version of it," Companion CEO Advait Paliwal said. 

Read more: 'Machines Can't Think for You.' How Learning Is Changing in the Age of AI

How Einstein works

Einstein integrates directly with Canvas, a popular learning-management system used by numerous US colleges and high schools. From there, it reviews course materials and identifies assigned tasks. The AI can then analyze lecture recordings, summarize readings and generate written work that matches the assignment requirements.

The company says the system produces original essays with citations and context-aware discussion posts. It can also track new announcements and upcoming deadlines. In practice, this means a student could enroll in an online course and let Einstein handle much -- if not all -- of the required work.

The technology builds on advances in generative AI, browser automation and so-called autonomous agents that can take multistep actions on behalf of their human counterpart. While many students already use AI tools to brainstorm ideas or check grammar, Einstein moves beyond assistance into complete automation.

"Our companions aren't simple chatbots," Paliwal said. "Each one has access to an entire virtual computer with a persistent file system and internet access, so they can actually do things on your behalf. This makes ChatGPT look like a toy."

A crossroads for academic integrity?

The release of Einstein comes at a critical moment when educators globally are working to adapt to increasing AI use in schoolwork and studying. Since the popularization of language models like ChatGPT and Claude, educators have debated how to distinguish legitimate aid from academic dishonesty and cheating. Most policies focus on whether students are using AI to help draft or edit their work, or do it entirely for them. 

Einstein complicates that conversation. 

If an AI logs in as a student and completes assignments independently, the question shifts from assistance to substitution. Is the tool essentially taking the student's place? 

Not all in education are sounding the alarm, though. 

"I think the Canvas method of teaching already has a proclivity for cheating. This change, I think, will ultimately be good because it will force educators to redesign classes to not rely on virtual assignments," said Nicholas DiMaggio, a PhD student at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business and teaching assistant for a course in consumer behavior this quarter. 

DiMaggio said that this may prompt institutions to emphasize in-person work, oral exams or project-based learning instead. 

Read more: How to Use AI to Get Better Grades -- Without Cheating

Like DiMaggio, there is a growing group of folks who believe the current education system is not working for students, or is simply broken. And perhaps no one believes that more than Einstein's creator. 

'Ragebaiting' educators into taking action 

Being provocative turns heads. That's a lesson 22-year-old Paliwal used to his advantage as Einstein has generated a mass amount of buzz -- and outcry -- over the last week. 

While completing his undergrad degree in engineering at Michigan State, Paliwal took an interest in building different products. His repertoire includes an AI tutor called YouLearn and an AI wearable called Iris that gives "infinite memory." Einstein is just his most recent launch. 

Like Moltbook -- a Reddit-like social media platform for AI bots -- Einstein is built using OpenClaw, an open-source AI agent software that went viral earlier this year and whose creator recently joined the ranks at OpenAI. Four days ago, Paliwal developed the "cheating tool" with the help of his friend, Harivansh Rathi, a UVA student who discovered Einstein could reliably complete his schoolwork assignments. 

It got them thinking: If a brand new AI tool could accurately complete assignments for a university student, then the future of education and jobs is merely impending automation. The current state of formal education simply will not survive AI. 

"The last resort was 'Let's post this out there, label this as a cheating tool and see the outrage,'" Paliwal said. "Because the world needs to take this seriously. The world needs to question systems."

As Paliwal explains, launching Einstein was an intentional act to spark controversy that would lead to conversations about how best to evolve the way we learn and work. Some educators told Paliwal he'd never "sleep well" again, and Companion is part of the downfall of society. Others have been open-minded, creating opportunities to discuss solutions. 

While the solutions may be years in the works, there is a truth that remains: Beyond this one tool, schools will have to decide whether to ban such tools outright, integrate them under strict guidelines or rethink how learning is measured in the age of AI.