NEW YORK, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Artificial intelligence's (AI) ability to automate and augment tasks at a low cost can help lower the cost of higher education, as, historically, automation has driven down prices, and AI is especially good at containing budget by enhancing the efficiency of student services, a professor wrote for The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday.
"An AI system could analyze a student's academic records and suggest personalized career paths, allowing career counselors to focus on providing tailored advice rather than data collection or routine counseling," said the article authored by Kartik Hosanagar, a professor of technology and digital business at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and faculty co-lead of AI for Business.
Colleges might need fewer counselors as a result, helping bring down costs and helping control tuition increases. Similarly, AI could improve the productivity of educators by supporting tasks such as lesson-planning, setting homework and exams, and grading, allowing them to spend more time teaching, it noted.
According to Hosanagar, from 2004 to 2023, private university education costs in the United States rose by 40 percent when adjusted for inflation, with public university costs increasing even more steeply.
Administrative costs were the primary driver of these increases, as universities spent more on customized student services such as career counseling, extracurricular opportunities and wellness checks, all of which require additional personnel, added the professor. ■