TLDR: Conor Grennan, NYU Stern’s chief AI architect, is leveraging ChatGPT to create personalized and engaging immersive learning experiences. His work, highlighted in a recent LinkedIn post, demonstrates how conversational AI can transform traditional education by making abstract concepts more relatable and memorable for students, while also supporting educators.
Conor Grennan, the chief AI architect at New York University’s Stern School of Business and CEO of the consulting firm AI Mindset, is at the forefront of integrating generative artificial intelligence into educational practices. A recent LinkedIn post from OpenAI Global Affairs, dated August 19, 2025, highlighted Grennan’s innovative approach to using ChatGPT for immersive learning experiences, developed in collaboration with his son. This initiative aims to revolutionize traditional classroom settings by making learning more personalized, engaging, and effective.
Grennan’s experiments showcase how conversational AI can transform abstract academic material into dynamic, story-rich environments. For instance, he has explored scenarios where students can role-play historical events, reimagine Shakespearean plays as modern conversations in a Brooklyn coffee shop, or even turn complex cell biology concepts into a Marvel-style storyline. These methods are designed to bring subjects to life, making them ‘sticky’ and memorable for students.
Grennan emphasizes that a key advantage of AI in education is its capacity for personalization. He notes the inherent challenge in traditional classrooms, where one teacher caters to many students, making individualized learning difficult. ‘We still teach from the front of the room, one teacher for 25 students, hoping it works for everyone,’ Grennan states. He believes AI can bridge this gap, asserting that ‘Education couldn’t be personalized before because it wasn’t practical. It would put a huge strain on the teacher. But if you could [personalize education], my guess is the students would learn better.’
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This work aligns with Grennan’s broader philosophy on AI adoption, which he frequently discusses in various forums. He argues that mastering generative AI is less about learning new technology and more about changing human behavior and mindset. As he explained in a Newsweek interview on March 20, 2025, he realized early on that ChatGPT would ‘change how everybody works across every industry’ due to its phenomenal expertise across domains. His firm, AI Mindset, focuses on training professionals and leaders to integrate AI effectively, emphasizing that successful AI adoption requires a fundamental shift in how individuals interact with and perceive these tools. Grennan’s vision extends to making NYU an ‘AI-powered school’ that operates more efficiently and prepares students to lead AI initiatives in their future careers. He believes that this technology presents an unprecedented opportunity to fundamentally alter how young people learn, creating more impactful and engaging educational journeys.
