Demystifying Artificial Intelligence: 3 Use Cases for the Public Sector and Higher Education
Over the past year, the artificial intelligence (AI) phenomenon has taken the world by storm. Almost overnight, hundreds of millions of users were tapping into a host of AI-powered applications to write cover letters, receive tutoring assistance, make appointments, speed up customer service, detect cybersecurity threats, and more. Some analysts have even referred to AI as the “fourth industrial revolution,” parallel to the development of the internet itself.
Understandably, much of the media focus has been on chatbot technology and its ability to perform tasks ranging from transcription and translation to generating content. AI is certainly that – but it’s also much more.
In the realm of higher education and the public sector, for example, AI has the potential to be truly transformational. It can streamline processes, allowing for a faster, more agile, and well-directed workflow. It can enhance relationships with customers, clients, and students by providing around-the-clock attention. And, crucially, by taking over manual, repetitive tasks that used to occupy countless working hours, AI can free staff members to devote themselves to more creative aspects of their work. This, in turn, increases productivity and reduces turnover.
Examples of AI for Higher Ed and Government Agencies
To illustrate the point more clearly, let’s look at two examples of AI in action.
Rapid response: Handling the surge of communications in the digital age is a headache for personnel in both higher education and the public sector. In addition to being time-consuming and labor-intensive, important information can get lost while urgent responses slip through the cracks. Here is where AI shines.
Consider the example of a resident contacting their town to inquire about pet registration. No matter how they decide to make contact – via email, chat, or social media – an AI-powered app can generate an immediate answer, freeing up a human staff member to follow up in case further information is required. Similarly, a college admissions office can use AI to engage with students as the first line of communication, ensuring they upload the proper financial aid documents and keeping them abreast of necessary updates. All of this, of course, is available 24 hours a day instead of being limited to working hours.
Early intervention and problem-solving: With its ability to analyze large data sets, AI can also facilitate early intervention in both higher education and the public sector, detecting potential problems before they manifest. By crunching attendance and grade data and comparing it with prior performance, AI can alert a college, letting them know when a timely intervention might save a student from dropping out. In the area of public health, it can analyze a series of metrics to determine when a community needs to act preventively against problems like illness, hate crimes, or vandalism. In both cases – education and health – early intervention allows for proactive problem-solving.
Further Uses of AI
There are many more ways that AI can transform the public sector and higher ed, including:
Data classification and decision-making,
Data extraction and entry, and
Summarizing and making recommendations – securely.
However your organization decides to leverage AI, it’s important to empower your team to implement AI safely – and with training. All of these topics are covered in detail in our e-book Demystifying Artificial Intelligence: 3 Use Cases for the Public Sector and Higher Education. Download it below.
