As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt operations for colleges and universities across the United States, a growing number of institutions are turning to artificial intelligence to help provide timely, accurate updates to community members. As of this week, more than 50 institutions have partnered with AdmitHub, which has made its pioneering chatbot technology available for free to institutions looking to help students and staff members navigate the crisis.
“Now more than ever, the University of Wyoming community needs to access information in real-time from a source that they trust, in order to make the safest decisions for themselves and their families,” said Katie Carroll, Assistant Director for Orientation and Recruiting at the University of Wyoming. “AI has enabled us to provide up-to-the-minute updates, informed by the latest expert guidelines, to help keep students, faculty, and staff safe and healthy.”
A body of evidence suggests that AI can play a critical role in helping colleges provide real-time support and guidance to students: according to a seminal randomized controlled trial, AdmitHub’s chatbot helped Georgia State University reduce summer melt by more than 20%. Today, the spread of the novel coronavirus has affected more than 3,000 colleges and 22 million students, leading to unprecedented demand for timely, accurate resources to ensure students’ health and safety. In response to this need, AdmitHub is offering a free COVID-19 Support Chatbot to all colleges and universities, with a knowledge base that is regularly updated with the latest information from the CDC and WHO.
“A crisis of this magnitude necessitates a response that is rooted in collaboration, communication, and empathy,” said Drew Magliozzi, Co-Founder and CEO of AdmitHub. “This is about fulfilling the potential of AI as a tool for listening at scale, in order to help institutions ensure the safety of students, faculty, staff and their families.”
Since its founding in 2014, AdmitHub has served more than 1.5 million students at hundreds of institutions across the country. Its pioneering AI technology provides on-demand student assistance via text message, web chat, and social media, answers questions in real time, and connects students to appropriate advisors and resources. Through deep partnerships with college and university leaders, the company uses AI to address the most persistent challenges in higher education access and success. For more information about the free COVID-19 chatbot, click here.