In recent years, the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technology has made it a focal point of research and application across various disciplines, including education. This paper aims to investigate the integration of AI in course practice teaching, drawing from the example of the course “Deployment and Operation of Big Data Platform” to assess its efficacy. Employing a mixed-methods approach that merges quantitative data from surveys with qualitative insights from interviews, the study conducts a comprehensive analysis of AI’s role in the teaching process, its reception among students and instructors, and the overall instructional outcomes. Findings reveal that AI significantly facilitates students’ comprehension of the installation and configuration of sophisticated big data ecosystem components, enhances learning efficacy, and supplies educators with innovative tools for instructional supervision and personalized feedback. Nevertheless, AI implementation is not without its challenges, encompassing technical constraints and ethical dilemmas. The results of this investigation indicate that while AI exerts a positive impact on practical teaching, it is crucial to remain mindful of its limitations and to sustain efforts towards optimization and adaptation in forthcoming instructional endeavors. The paper culminates by offering pragmatic recommendations grounded in the research findings and envisions the prospective implications of AI in the educational sphere.