Grand Valley State Intros AI-Powered Campus Assistant

myBlueLaker app

A new app at Grand Valley State University will serve as a campus assistant for students. MyBlueLaker Assistant uses voice and artificial intelligence to help students answer questions about such topics as buildings, transportation and dining; registration and class details; and grade alerts.

Students who log in with their student ID can connect to their own records and ask questions specific to their individual needs. And the app uses current location data to generate directions to buildings and points of interest on campus and current bus route information.

The app was built on a platform produced by n-Powered specifically for use by higher education. To generate answers, the company's API allows the app to collect information from various campus applications, including the learning management system, the registrar's system, marketing, student identity, financial aid and others.

According to the university, the app "will continue to improve." As users ask questions, it will learn more about the kind of information they're really seeking. Users can provide feedback in the app via a thumbs-up and thumbs-down response.

The program runs in standard browsers, as well as on Apple and Google devices.

"By working directly with Grand Valley State University, we were able to provide an instrumental and personalized communication tool that meets the needs of the students and reduces the stress of a new semester," said Somen Saha, president and CEO at n-Powered, in a press release.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • Global AI vibrancy ranking

    United States Leads in Stanford HAI Global AI Ranking

    A new ranking tool from the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI (HAI) AI Index puts the United States in the No. 1 spot for global AI leadership.

  • person signing a bill at a desk with a faint glow around the document. A tablet and laptop are subtly visible in the background, with soft colors and minimal digital elements

    California Governor Signs AI Content Safeguards into Law

    California Governor Gavin Newsom has officially signed off on a series of landmark artificial intelligence bills, signaling the state’s latest efforts to regulate the burgeoning technology, particularly in response to the misuse of sexually explicit deepfakes. The legislation is aimed at mitigating the risks posed by AI-generated content, as concerns grow over the technology's potential to manipulate images, videos, and voices in ways that could cause significant harm.

  • pattern featuring interconnected lines, nodes, lock icons, and cogwheels

    Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.5 Expands Automation, Security

    Open source solution provider Red Hat has introduced Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 9.5, the latest version of its flagship Linux platform.

  • MathGPT

    MathGPT AI Tutor Now Out of Beta

    Ed tech provider GotIt! Education has announced the general availability of MathGPT, an AI tutor and teaching assistant for foundational math support.