The podcast episode focuses on a conversation between Audrey, Alvin, and Zia about implementing AI in academic advising. Alvin, the Director of Academic Advising at Prairie View A&M University, discusses how AI tools like ChatGPT can enhance both student and advisor experiences by providing quick access to academic policies and requirements, such as double majors and the university’s catalog. They experiment with building a custom AI chatbot to answer catalog-related questions, emphasizing the importance of tailoring AI responses to students and advisors while minimizing jargon and maintaining accuracy.

Alvin shares his excitement about using AI to simplify complex advising processes, making the information more accessible for students. They also talk about the challenge of ensuring accuracy in chatbot responses to build trust, especially when it comes to nuanced topics like double dipping (using one course for two majors). The team demonstrates how the chatbot can reference the catalog, and Alvin is eager to introduce this tool to his advising team for testing before a potential student rollout.

The episode highlights the practical steps in developing AI tools in education, emphasizing prompt engineering and customization..