TRANSCRIPT

**Max:**

Welcome, everybody, to our webinar, “AI Disruption in Career Services.” I’m extremely excited to be joined by a fantastic panel of practitioners, moderated by the wonderful Marcy, for a discussion on the impact of AI in delivering career services to students and alumni.

My name is Max Leisten. I’m the founder and CEO of Protopia, and I started Protopia about six years ago in close collaboration with Duke University. It was born out of frustration and curiosity—how do you make it easier for human beings, particularly students and alumni, to connect with one another? And how do we use AI for good? We’ve been using it now for six years, and AI has the capacity to help you do more, smarter, better. So I’m excited about this webinar.

I want to show you a bit of how our customers are already using our AI to do more, better, faster, smarter because I think you’ll be inspired by what is already possible and where the industry may be heading.

I’ll start with Duke University. I’m based in North Carolina, where we had this conversation six years ago about making networks truly available to everyone—not just those who use a platform, not just those with a lot of social capital or formal mentoring, but everyone. There’s an amazing promise of higher education communities that you belong to. How do you really deliver on this? Today, at Duke and other Protopia customers, everyone can connect without another app to learn or use in their busy lives.

AI is unlocking more effective, scalable networking. Simplicity is a big advantage—look at tools like ChatGPT and Gemini, which offer simple, intuitive, but compelling interfaces that deliver better texts and images. This simplicity is here to stay because AI interfaces, much like Alexa, are going to be smarter and more intuitive than traditional software.

Appalachian State University leapfrogged formal mentoring and made it easier for students and alumni to connect without another app. They simply ask, and they get connected because they’re busy and don’t want another platform—they just need help. Mentoring is the destination of that relationship building and reduces complexity for staff.

Efficient AI is going to make your lives easier. You’ll be working on higher quality tasks. For example, Denison University reduced the time spent finding the right alumni, matching alumni to students, and ensuring they had a good interaction from an average of 30 minutes to five minutes using Protopia’s AI, which does all the hard work thanks to artificial intelligence.

We do things differently—we don’t believe in adding more apps because there’s already so much technology out there to connect everyone. Everyone participates from day one because we know alumni want to help if the conditions are right, and we guarantee relevant engagement between students and alumni.

We’re very excited that our customers, the London School of Economics and Northwestern University, were just recognized with a CASE Gold and Silver awards, respectively, for their work using Protopia to engage students and alumni in a simple, scalable, and humane way. If you’re interested, I’d love to talk to you. Visit www.protopia.co. Now, I’ll hand it over to Marcy for a wonderful conversation on AI disruption in career services with amazing practitioners.

**Marcy:**

Friends from all over the globe, please type in your questions. We want this to be organic. I’m going to kick it off with a question for Andy. How do you envision AI transforming the services provided by university career centers?

**Andy:**

Well, Marcy, it’s great to take that first question, and I’ll do my best to keep it concise. When you think about the services we provide, we often consider two sides: the student side and the employer side.

On the student side, one of the biggest things to note is that our students are going to come to campus knowing how to use AI tools like ChatGPT and generative AI much better than we do. So, what’s going to be really important is to think about what we uniquely do and can offer to students that they couldn’t figure out on their own. Unless they’re required to use the career office because it’s part of a course or for a grade, it will become even more optional.

I think about what’s unique about a university: it’s the academic programs, the people who are part of the university’s network, and our personal relationships. My team and I are focused on how to transform our services, utilize AI ourselves to be better at what we do with students, and help students use AI appropriately.

On the employer side, we’re gearing up to activate our network—our connections with alumni and employers. The more we formalize these connections and make them institutional assets, the more students will realize they need to use the career office to connect with people they wouldn’t otherwise meet. If students rely solely on technology for networking, they might miss out on personal connections. Networking is becoming even more important now, and we need to teach students how to do it well. Our services will change, but it’s up to us to use AI effectively to stay ahead and provide value to our students and employers.

**Chaim:**

Thank you, Andy, for taking this. I’ll share a practical story. After Marcy invited me here, a student walked into my office the next day needing a personal statement for a graduate program due the following day. It was already 4:30 PM. A year and a half ago, this would have been impossible. I suggested using ChatGPT to input her resume, the specific program, and the specialty, and ask it to create a personal statement for her. I emphasized not to copy and paste but to personalize and research the content. This wouldn’t have been possible before.

AI provides tools we didn’t have access to before. For example, I had a student who was introverted, loved math and the outdoors, but was afraid of spiders. I used ChatGPT to generate career opportunities for them, and it provided relevant suggestions. It still needs interpretation by career services, but it offers a starting point. After completing a resume with a student, I upload it to ChatGPT and ask it to assess the resume for a specific job. It gives great feedback, though not perfect. AI is an assistive tool that enhances our work in career services.

**Marcy:**

I love it. You built nicely on how Andy kicked things off by stating what we can do that AI cannot. Suzanne, let’s move over to you. You’ve been a trailblazer in integrating AI with career services. What are the ethical concerns, and how should we address them?

**Suzanne:**

That’s a really big and important question. As technologies get easier to use and more powerful, we must keep up with ethical concerns. There are several key issues: algorithmic bias, data security, and the definition of cheating.

Algorithmic bias is a significant concern, coupled with data security and integrity. We need to make students aware of these biases, encourage them to look beyond the first answer from generative AI, and seek different perspectives. We must continue conversations with our technology providers and employers about these issues. A good roadmap is the White House’s Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights, which outlines important considerations.

Cheating is another concern. Using AI to get a different perspective is fine, but relying on AI to do your work and presenting it as your own is cheating. It can harm students’ chances as their documents might look like many others, failing to distinguish themselves.

Lastly, the notion of AI leveling the playing field is complex. While there are free and premium versions of AI, the cost can be a barrier for many students. Some universities provide premium AI tools to students, which helps. Employers like Grant Thornton create their own AI instances for candidates to ensure fairness. We need to stay vigilant and proactive as AI continues to evolve.

**Tom:**

AI enables more personalized connections with students. For neurodivergent learners and those with disabilities, AI can offer tools like speech-to-text and real-time captioning, making information more accessible. However, the digital divide remains a barrier. We must ensure equitable access to AI resources, possibly through public libraries and local government initiatives.

**Marcy:**

Thanks, Tom. Let’s discuss how AI might predict job market trends and prepare students for future opportunities. Andy, could you start?

**Andy:**

Sure. Predictions are always uncertain, but AI can help us understand potential changes. We need to prepare students for the evolving job market by integrating AI into experiential learning opportunities. AI will likely shift repetitive tasks to machines, allowing us to focus on more strategic and meaningful work.

**Chaim:**

People often fear AI taking over jobs, but the real concern is how transformative changes impact individuals. We need a personalized approach to ensure people aren’t left behind. As AI advances, we must be proactive in supporting those affected by job displacement.

**Suzanne:**

Staff in career centers will need new skills, including data literacy and critical thinking. AI will help us streamline routine tasks and focus on strategic work. We also need to prepare students for in-person interactions, as employers seek to differentiate candidates in an AI-driven world.

**Marcy:**

Building community and belonging on campus increases the likelihood of students using career services. AI can help by providing personalized career guidance, enhancing students’ confidence in their goals, and ultimately fostering a sense of belonging. Tom, do you have thoughts on this?

**Tom:**

Absolutely. AI can confirm students’ career interests early, allowing them to focus on academics and feel more connected to their university. When students have a clearer sense of their career goals, their sense of belonging increases, which positively impacts their academic performance and retention.

**Marcy:**

Thank you all for your insights. We didn’t get to all the questions, but we’ve had a great discussion. Networking is back, and combining AI with human connections will continue to be crucial. Thank you, Max, for hosting us. Peace to everyone!