Artificial Intelligence is coming to Australian schools as a Gold Coast college introduces AI assistant teachers to the classroom.

This semester Trinity Lutheran College's Kirsten Ford has started teaching side-by-side with an AI-powered ZenoBot avatar which is designed to deliver classroom lessons, run activities, respond to student queries and record their answers.

Speaking more than a dozen languages, the Australian-developed ZenoBot runs on a large interactive screen at the front of the class, as well as on students' laptops. The co-ed Christian college is running a pilot with Year 7 students, with plans to introduce the ZenoBot to other year levels.

Unlike a typical classroom, Trinity Lutheran College divides the room into four spaces; an auditorium, lounge area, individual booths and traditional teaching space. With 20 students spread across these four areas, moving throughout the day, Ford and a second teacher often work with students in the auditorium and teaching spaces while the ZenoBot conducts lessons in other areas of the room.

Rather than view the ZenoBot avatar as a threat to her job, Ms Ford sees it as powerful teaching tool in a "flexible learning environment" which allows her to spend more quality time with individual students.