I’ve been doing customer discovery with CS students learning Data Structures and Algorithms. Right now, every AI tutor in the market is just a reactive chatbox (like ChatGPT next to a code editor).
The problem is, when a student is completely stuck on a logic problem (like Dynamic Programming), they don't even know what to prompt the AI. They just stare at the screen.
I am validating a new UX: A Proactive AI Mentor without a chatbox.
Instead of the user prompting the AI, the AI sits in the background and watches the code editor. It only intervenes via GitHub-style inline comments when a specific event triggers (e.g., they haven't typed in 60 seconds, or they write an O(n^2) loop when it should be O(n)).
Basically, it feels like a Senior Dev looking over your shoulder, rather than a search engine waiting to be asked.
As developers and founders, do you think this "event-driven/proactive" UX is the future for highly technical learning, or am I overcomplicating it? Would love to hear your thoughts.