Opinion: AI Must Augment, Not Replace, Human Coaches in Higher Ed

While the rapid rise of generative artificial intelligence initially took higher education by surprise, a growing number of institutions are now exploring how they can harness the technology’s power to better support students. They are finding that AI tools hold immense promise for scaling personalized outreach and academic, advising, coaching and counseling support. AI can help identify students at risk or experiencing obstacles, reveal important trends across classes and student populations, and create greater capacity for overstretched faculty and staff.

Simple chatbots have been used on college campuses for years, providing students with answers to straightforward questions about basic but important topics like scheduling and financial aid. With the growth of far more sophisticated generative AI tools, institutions are beginning to build on that foundation. Earlier this year, for example, Arizona State University announced that it was partnering with OpenAI, the research organization and technology company behind ChatGPT, to boost student success through AI tutors and study buddies. This fall, schools and colleges will also have access to a new AI counseling tool called AVA, designed by the College Guidance Network and endorsed by the National Association for College Admissions Counseling.

Amid all this promise, there is great risk, too. Higher education should be careful not to confuse augmentation for substitution. Despite their impressive capabilities and potential, AI tools are no replacement for personalized advising, individualized coaching, and other forms of one-on-one student support. Human connection is at the core of what makes such support so profoundly effective — and that’s something AI is currently fundamentally incapable of replicating. At a time when students have rarely felt more lonely or isolated, inadvertently weakening those relationships can have significant consequences. Any approach to integrating AI into student support must be designed to keep these crucial human connections intact.
AI has begun to master what Julia Freeland Fisher, director of education research at the Clayton Christensen Institute, calls “simulated intimacy.” As these capabilities grow more advanced, the temptation to use AI as an efficient substitute for human interaction will only increase. A simulated conversation cannot yet replace the real thing, however. Although AI technology can increasingly recognize and respond to the challenges students articulate, can it identify issues that they may be less upfront about? Only another human can read between the lines of what a student chooses to share, tease out the nuances of their complicated lives, and provide guidance based on a holistic understanding of their goals, needs and experiences.

An AI coach may be able to identify that a student is missing classes or neglecting assignments, but it lacks the ability to observe that she appears exhausted. It cannot discern subtleties in a student’s behavior or inquire sensitively to discover that she’s been working full time to afford textbooks and groceries. To a machine, this may look like a lack of motivation or interest, but in reality, it’s an issue of basic needs. Well-trained support staff can make those kinds of important assessments and connections to help students access necessary resources.

The best counseling, advising and coaching interactions are rooted in strong human relationships. Indeed, research shows that one-on-one advising, individualized coaching, and supportive mentorships are essential elements of student support. A Strada-Gallup survey poll in 2019 found that “a mentor who encourages a student’s goals and dreams” ranks among the most important factors in determining a college student’s success after graduation. While AI is becoming increasingly adept at mimicking these interactions, the real thing will be deeply missed if it disappears — and it will take the motivational impact of such interactions with it.

Students yearn to be seen and heard by a fellow human, not a machine. True transformation happens when faculty and staff listen deeply to students and then help them develop agency, confidence and a sense of belonging. This kind of mindset shift is achievable only through the kind of genuine connection that a human coach or adviser can provide — and the rich lived experiences that they bring to the table. At the same time, it’s crucial for students to receive accurate information at the right time. Technology like AI can help institutions address challenges related to time, space and capacity, ensuring students can access the resources they need precisely when they need them.

A hybrid approach that blends human support with AI offers great potential. Rather than rushing to adopt the latest, most-hyped technology, institutions should prioritize careful experimentation. Innovators leading the way must use research-proven techniques that merge the strengths of human interaction and technology, ensuring culturally sensitive, nuanced and equitable student support. Anything less risks disadvantaging the very learners who would benefit most from these advancements.

We are still in the nascent stages of AI-driven coaching and advising, but if the past two years have taught us anything, it’s that this technology can evolve at a startling pace. As institutions explore how best to employ AI to support students, they will need to do so in ways that amplify the unique contributions of human beings, not supplant them.

Ruth Bauer White is president of the student coaching nonprofit InsideTrack, as well as a single mother of three and a first-generation college graduate.