They are ideal for use as information hubs in libraries or student union buildings, and visitors can even transfer a digital human from a big screen to their phone, which means they are also perfect as museum or library tour guides. For students whose first language is not English, a digital human could even take on the role of English language teacher in their preliminary year.
The most important feature of a digital human of course, is that they can also do things self-service portals and chat bots cannot do – they can communicate emotions. They can read human body language and interact using tone of voice and facial expressions. And that’s one of the most significant aspects of this new generation of AI – the emotional connection – its personality and ability to detect and mirror moods ensures a personal experience for visitors and students at all times.
This also makes them ideal for universities to offer to students as individual personal assistants. It’s always available on their phone to provide information about their course, the university, or the city in which they live, and because they build an emotional rapport with the student they are a great way of keeping in touch with alumni. After all, this kind of technology meets the needs and expectations of the next generation of students, who are coming into universities already digitally aware, social savvy and expecting instant access to information.