Real Talk in an AI World: Balancing Efficiency with Human Connection

AI is changing how universities communicate with prospective students, from answering questions around the clock to personalizing marketing at scale. But as adoption grows, one question remains: how can institutions embrace AI without losing the human connection that helps students make confident decisions?

At Unibuddy’s Powered by Peers conference, Jen from the University of South Florida, Gayatri from Fairleigh Dickinson University, and Paul from the University of East Anglia shared their experiences of using AI in higher education, exploring its opportunities, challenges, and practical realities.

Use AI to make more time for people

AI can help universities respond to routine questions about programs, admissions requirements, and start dates at any time of day. For smaller teams in particular, this can free up valuable time to focus on more personal conversations.

At the University of South Florida, AI-powered assistance helps answer common questions around the clock, allowing staff to spend more time building relationships with prospective students.

The key is knowing where automation helps and where it falls short. Questions about program requirements may have straightforward answers, but students asking about campus life, making friends, or finding the right place to live often benefit from hearing directly from current students and staff.

Make AI transparent, responsible and student-focused

The panel agreed that AI should support the student experience, not pretend to replace it.

For international students, AI can make it easier to compare institutions, find information across time zones, and ask questions they might feel uncomfortable raising with a person. But accuracy, transparency, and trust remain essential.

Institutions need to be clear about when students are interacting with AI and when they are speaking to a human. Regular testing, appropriate oversight, and responsible use are also important to ensure students receive reliable information.

As Paul highlighted, successful adoption is about more than choosing the right technology. Universities need clear direction, staff training, and shared principles to guide how AI is used.

Let student questions guide your strategy

AI can also help institutions understand what prospective students really want to know.

At the University of South Florida, insights from student conversations help the team identify common questions and use them to inform FAQs, blogs, and other content.

These insights can reveal gaps in existing communications and highlight where website content needs improving. As Gayatri shared, testing an AI assistant can even uncover problems with the underlying website information itself.

By using these questions to guide improvements, universities can create more relevant communications and address student concerns earlier in the decision-making process.

AI works best with humans in the loop

The panel’s message was clear: AI isn’t a replacement for human connection. It’s a tool to help universities deliver better, more personalized experiences while making the most of their teams’ time.

The challenge for higher education isn’t simply adopting AI. It’s understanding where it adds value, giving teams the confidence and skills to use it responsibly, and ensuring technology continues to serve students’ needs.

As AI evolves, the universities that get the most from it will be those that combine innovation with intention, using technology to remove barriers and create more opportunities for meaningful human connection.