An Educator’s Conundrum
Recently, I spoke with a Professor at NC Central University about using AI in education. She described how challenging it has become to teach students whose college-readiness varies widely.
This comes at a time when the number of college-age students will drop dramatically due to declining birth rates and growing questions around the value of higher education.
The ripple effects will hit hard, and the pressure to deliver meaningful, personalized education will only intensify.
But how can institutions scale meaningful connection to meet students where they are when time and resources are stretched so thin?
“Each year, my students seem to arrive from vastly different starting points,” she said. “Some struggle with foundational concepts, while others feel underwhelmed when they’re not being challenged.”
Her solution? A classroom policy that treats AI tools like ChatGPT as another “person.” Students can use them, but they must document how and why, just as they would if working with a classmate. She gave an example of a student struggling to understand a dense research article, who used ChatGPT to simplify the content by asking, “Explain this like I’m a fifth grader.”
“That’s a great way to use AI,” she said. But when I asked how she might use AI to supplement her own teaching, her tone shifted: “We’re not there yet.”
She recalled how she benefited from human-led instruction during her own education—teachers who didn’t just teach to the average but made time to meet each student where they were.
“I wonder if I would have gone to Harvard and become a professor if they hadn’t,” she said.
Her story reinforced something I’ve been reflecting on: the promise of AI isn’t about replacing human effort—it’s about giving us more time to connect in deeply human ways.
What It Means to Meet Students Where They Are
The professor’s point about time hit home. Meeting students where they are means delivering support tailored to their needs, so they can bridge gaps, build confidence, and thrive.
This has never been more important as institutions face shrinking resources but growing complexity in student needs. For some students, understanding a concept might require a hands-on lab, while others might prefer a visual demonstration or a conversational explanation. The challenge? Delivering these varied mediums at scale, without sacrificing quality or overburdening educators.
Imagine if the professor could use AI to produce materials for different learning styles. She could “sit behind the control panel,” outlining her key takeaways and instructing AI to generate videos, infographics, virtual labs and simplified reading guides tailored to her students’ levels of understanding. Instead of spending time catching students up, she could focus on pushing them forward.
“Exactly!” she exclaimed when I floated the idea.
And while I understand why she might feel that we’re not “there” yet, change doesn’t just happen to us—we have agency in what happens next.
Plus, I think that’s exactly where we are today: a point in time where we must leverage AI to make education more personal.
The Role of Human-Centered AI
At Mainstay, we’ve seen how human-centered AI can expand capacity for educators and advisors. Consider our partnership with Georgia State University (GSU). Their chatbot, Pounce, didn’t just answer questions—it helped advisors deliver proactive, personalized support to thousands of students at once.
Instead of waiting for students to ask for help, GSU identified key moments when students needed guidance, like FAFSA deadlines or course registration. With a single click, advisors used Pounce to send tailored messages to thousands of students, sparking conversations that clarified next steps or resolved barriers in real time.
The result? A near-instant 21% reduction in summer melt and more time for advisors to focus on connecting with learners with complex support needs.
This is the essence of human-centered AI: it amplifies human effort, making it possible to meet students where they are; to spend less time catching up and more time guiding them to success.
And, in fact, the same human-centered AI led to higher grades and better performance for first-generation students in large gateway courses at GSU.
AI Across the Campus: More Than a Teaching Tool
The potential of AI extends far beyond the classroom. At Cal Poly Pomona, Billy Chat helps meet students where they are with personalized reminders about deadlines, resources, and campus events. Billy doesn’t just send reminders—it starts conversations that lead students to take action.
Billy frees up staff to focus on areas where human connection matters most, whether that’s one-on-one academic advising, wellness support, or career counseling.
Across campus, AI has the potential to turn transactional moments into transformational ones.
The Cost of Connection: Why Research Matters
Scaling AI requires thoughtful investment. Mainstay’s AI uses natural language processing (NLP) to deliver accurate, pre-vetted responses, reserving generative AI for saving staff time. This approach helps manage costs while driving reliable, research-backed AI conversations.
Generative AI has a cost—typically between $0.03 and $0.20 per interaction. For a mid-sized institution running 100,000 interactions per semester, that’s $10,000 to $20,000 in interaction costs alone. Add in training, integration, and support, and the total annual investment could easily range from $50,000 to $100,000.
But here’s the key: AI investments must deliver real, measurable outcomes. That’s why Mainstay prioritizes randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to ensure our tools improve retention, persistence, and overall student success. When done right, the return on investment isn’t just financial—it’s human.
The Future of Human-Centered Learning
As the enrollment cliff approaches, institutions must find ways to deliver more value, more connection, and more support to students—without stretching their people too thin.
AI offers a way forward. By scaling personalized support and freeing up human time, AI empowers educators, advisors, and staff to focus on what matters most: building the human connections that drive learning, growth, and opportunity.
Let’s Reshape Education Together
The promise of human-centered AI is within reach. It’s already transforming how institutions engage and support students. Speak with Mainstay today to explore how AI can help your institution deliver richer, more personalized guidance to every learner.