The Texas founders of an unconventional AI-based learning model want to expand into Pennsylvania, pitching a plan for a cyber charter school that would replace teachers with software and squeeze traditional academics into 2 hours of daily instruction.

Representatives of Unbound Academic Institute Charter School, which has a pending application before state officials, say their artificial intelligence technology tailors lessons to each child and helps them master material more quickly. Compressing the typical school day into 2 hours keeps students from burning out on academics and frees up time for developing a range of other life skills, they say.

And instead of traditional teachers, the school uses educators called guides to coach students and monitor their progress.