6 ways that Higher Education can use the benefits of ChatGPT and other AI technologies in 2023 and beyond
In the last few years, we’ve seen generative AI technologies ranging from the textual (ChatGPT) to the visual (Stable Diffusion, Dall-E, Midjourney for imagery), alongside cheap fake technology for video, gain huge traction in society. Amassing huge numbers of users within just days and being widely adopted by software applications, this is a trend in its infancy.
Technologies like ChatGPT are designed to generate human-like text that can be used for a wide range of applications, including customer service, support, and creative writing. We have of course seen the understandable concerns from Higher Education Institutions about such technologies and the potential for them to be used inappropriately to pass exams and more. But there are real positives to the technologies that the sector can embrace too, like in student marketing where they have the potential to revolutionise the way we communicate with students and enhance their experience while at higher education institutions. Our team of experts look at this below; how ChatGPT and similar technologies could positively influence the student recruitment landscape in 2023 and beyond.
- Digital Marketing: It will continue to drive the growth of digital marketing, enabling higher education institutions to reach and engage with students more effectively through online channels such as social media, email and mobile through ever-evolving best practice templates and language that AI can help generate.
- Student Recruitment: We are already seeing the start of AI influencing the higher education space with institutions using virtual and augmented reality tools to provide students with immersive and interactive experiences of their campus and programs. This could prove particularly useful when looking to attract international students and will only become more sophisticated and normal practice in years to come.
- Student Services: AI will be increasingly used to provide students with online and mobile access to key services and resources, such as enrollment, financial aid and advice, making the student experience more convenient and accessible. We know that this is something that students are looking for more of and is already happening in parts across a lot of universities, but could a 24/7 chatbot for example be your future student liaison?
- Brand Management: It will become a bigger tool in the management of the reputation and brand of higher education institutions, through the use of social media, digital content, and other online channels. The key here will be in its abilities to be trained on a tone of voice and the unique attributes that make one university stand out from another.
- Analytics and Insights: Technology will continue to provide higher education institutions with new insights and data on student behaviour, preferences, and outcomes, enabling them to make data-driven decisions and to improve the student experience.
- Student Engagement: New communication lines will evolve across online platforms, social media, and other digital tools helping to increase student engagement and to foster a sense of community among students.
Ongoing concerns will persist about the potential misuse of ChatGPT among students, and in the case of student recruitment and marketing, it would be right to have concerns about how you can adapt to AI technologies and how they will adapt to who you are and the unique attributes your institution has. However, it's clear that these technologies have the potential to significantly change the way we operate and communicate with both prospective students and those at the institutions currently, so they need to be embraced in a similar way to other technological innovations in the past.
We’ll be exploring this more in our next Education Advisory Board – please get in touch with us if you wish to receive insights from this.