Higher School of Economics has developed an AI assistant for students and employees of educational offices

The Higher School of Economics has a new tool – a round-the-clock AI assistant that advises students on academic, administrative, and social issues in the format of a chatbot. Its introduction will reduce the load on the staff of academic departments and ensure prompt responses to queries. The project is implemented within the framework of the strategic program of the National Research University Higher School of Economics “AI-technologies for Human” (Priority 2030 initiative).

How does an AI assistant work?

The AI assistant is a chatbot based on artificial intelligence technology. It processes student and staff queries by providing detailed answers and links to relevant sections of the university portal. The system analyzes text queries and provides accurate information based on internal regulations and methodological recommendations of the National Research University Higher School of Economics.

Query Research and Database

The work on the project was carried out by a project team including specialists from the Directorate of Basic Educational Programs and the Department of Informatics, Mathematics and Computer Science of the National Research University Higher School of Economics in Nizhny Novgorod. The team conducted a survey to identify the most popular questions of students. As a result, a database with more than 280 questions and answers was created.

A database with more than 280 questions and answers was created.

The chatbot was powered by a neural network model based on Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) technology. This approach makes efficient use of large language models to provide relevant and accurate answers.

The chatbot was developed using a neural network model based on Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) technology.

The new tool will allow us, in addition to offloading administrators, to collect feedback – what questions students are most often concerned about at different times of the school year. This way we will be able to improve the student information system. We see a chat bot for teachers as the next step in the development of the system. It will help navigate through the complicated rules and requirements.

Anna Korovko, senior director for core educational programs at the National Research University Higher School of Economics

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The work of an AI assistant was first demonstrated by Alexei Masyutin, director of the Institute of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Sciences at the Fall into ML conference in Moscow in late October. Participants of the event, including HSE students, were able to test the chatbot and evaluate its functionality. It is expected that it will help to improve the availability and quality of information support for students and employees of Vyshka’s academic offices.

The chatbot is now available to a test group of university students and staff. The project team is collecting feedback and refining the model. It is planned that in early 2025 the AI assistant will be available to everyone. It is expected to be integrated into various HSE digital systems, such as the HSE App X.