Recent advances in generative artificial intelligence (AI) have captured worldwide attention. Tools such as Dalle-2 and ChatGPT suggest that tasks previously thought to be beyond the capabilities of AI may now augment the productivity of creative media in various new ways, including through the generation of synthetic video. This research paper explores the utility of using AI-generated synthetic video to create viable educational content for online educational settings. To date, there is limited research investigating the real-world educational value of AI-generated synthetic media. To address this gap, we examined the impact of using AI-generated synthetic video in an online learning platform on both learners content acquisition and learning experience. We took a mixed-method approach, randomly assigning adult learners (n=83) into one of two micro-learning conditions, collecting pre- and post-learning assessments, and surveying participants on their learning experience. The control condition included a traditionally produced instructor video, while the experimental condition included a synthetic video with a realistic AI-generated character. The results show that learners in both conditions demonstrated significant improvement from pre- to post-learning (p<.001), with no significant differences in gains between the two conditions (p=.80). In addition, no differences were observed in how learners perceived the traditional and synthetic videos. These findings suggest that AI-generated synthetic learning videos have the potential to be a viable substitute for videos produced via traditional methods in online educational settings, making high quality educational content more accessible across the globe.

翻译：生成式人工智能（AI）的最新进展已引起全球关注。Dalle-2和ChatGPT等工具表明，此前被认为超出AI能力的任务如今可能以各种新方式提升创意媒体的生产力，包括通过生成合成视频。本研究论文探讨了利用AI生成的合成视频为在线教育环境制作可行教育内容的实用性。迄今为止，关于AI生成合成媒体在真实教育场景中价值的实证研究十分有限。为填补这一空白，我们考察了在线学习平台中采用AI生成合成视频对学习者内容习得与学习体验的影响。我们采用混合方法研究，将成年学习者（n=83）随机分配至两种微学习条件，收集前后学习评估数据，并对参与者的学习体验进行调查。对照组观看传统制作的教师视频，实验组则观看具有逼真AI生成角色的合成视频。结果显示，两组学习者从学习前到学习后均取得显著进步（p<.001），但两组间的进步幅度无显著差异（p=.80）。此外，学习者对传统视频与合成视频的感知亦无差异。这些发现表明，AI生成的合成学习视频具备成为在线教育环境中传统制作视频可行替代品的潜力，从而助力全球范围内高质量教育内容的普及。