In a recent piece for University Business, Burt Caylor deconstructs an apparent “paradox” applicable to admissions outreach: Students widely admit to using AI, but simultaneously discredit it, valuing answers from a human. Caylor solves the paradox by using a recent enrolment engagement report to show that while students use AI, they are highly skeptical of it. He says that when institutions treat AI as a voice, this skepticism is activated in key relational moments, leading to poor outcomes for institutions. To avoid this, Caylor suggests auditing front-facing AI to remove robotic responses; keeping humans as key players in high-trust moments; beginning earlier personalization of messaging towards potential students; and measuring trust through metrics such as opt-outs, chatbot dissatisfaction, and requests to speak with a person.
