Hello,
It is Yannick Lyons from The Teaching Twin Newsletter.
This newsletter walks through the specific situations where using an AI avatar reduces instructional quality instead of improving it, and how to recognize those moments before delegating.
When an AI Avatar Is the Wrong Tool
An AI avatar is a delivery mechanism.
It is not a substitute for judgment, mentorship, or evaluation.
So the question is not “Can this be done with an avatar?”
The question is “What would be lost if it were?”
Here are the clearest cases where an AI avatar is the wrong choice.
1. When Student Understanding Depends on Live Feedback
If the value of the moment comes from:
Reading confusion in real time
Adjusting explanation mid-sentence
Responding to unanticipated misconceptions
An avatar will degrade the outcome.
Asynchronous delivery works when the explanation is stable.
It fails when understanding emerges through interaction.
Early-course moments carry disproportionate weight.
If students are still answering the question:
“Who is this instructor, and should I trust them?”
Delegation too early can backfire. Avatars are effective when familiarity already exists.
This is why the first few sessions of a course often demand live presence, even if later explanations do not.
3. When the Explanation Is Still Evolving
If you are:
Actively refining how you teach a concept
Changing examples each term
Discovering better metaphors through dialogue
You are still in a development phase.
Freezing that explanation, whether via video, slides, or an avatar, locks in something unfinished.
4. When the Work Is Interpretive, Not Explanatory
Some instructional labor is about:
Weighing nuance
Applying judgment
Modeling reasoning rather than transmitting information
If the educational value involves feedback, keep it human.
5. When Delegation Becomes Avoidance
This is the uncomfortable one.
If the motivation is:
Discomfort with teaching a topic
Fatigue rather than constraint
Avoiding student interaction
That is abdication not delegation.
The Principle to Keep in Mind
Use AI avatars when they preserve learning while removing scheduling friction.
Do not use them when they:
Reduce diagnostic ability
Undermine trust formation
Lock in developing explanations
Replace judgment with delivery
The line is not technological.
It is pedagogical.
Instructors who respect that line strengthen their courses by reserving their live presence for the moments that require it most.
Hope this helps,
Yannick
How We Can Help
For professors who want professional AI avatar videos without dealing with tools, setup, or editing, we will handle the entire process:
Get started at LyonsMediaProductions.com submit your requirements.
See real examples of AI avatar videos we’ve created being used here (Link)
Prefer to experiment first? Create and test your own avatar using free tools with my free training: (Link)
Reply to this email with any questions or suggestions you have. I respond to everybody.