“Timetabling used to be very complicated,” she says. “When students enroll in a course, it needs to align with other students’ schedules, curriculum needs, and staff availability. Previously, it was a highly manual process that took a lot of time. But now, AI tools help generate these schedules though human intervention is still there to verify everything aligns properly. We’re just too new at this to completely depend on AI.”
One of Banerji’s clients is using gen AI to streamline the research grant-writing process, which essentially involves filling out an application. “AI can reference previous grants, suggest improvements, and help researchers complete applications in a shorter period of time,” she says. And having an LLM act as co-pilot could ensure no stone is left unturned when identifying potential research grants as a tight funding climate takes hold.
Start with student pain points
When it came to using gen AI to improve university operations, Lev Gonick, enterprise CIO at Arizona State University, started with two perennial student concerns. Right after receiving that coveted acceptance letter, a student’s joy often turns to anguish as they or their parents embarks to conquer financial aid forms.
