“New phone, who is it?”
It is “Bow, the artificial intelligence (AI) Rainbow Warrior chatbot buddy targeting students at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa from his new number! At the beginning of the fall semester 2024, “Bow (short for Rainbow) contacted students via the Short Message Service (Direct Mail) (better known as texting) and offered them his support and services, informing them that he was a resource they could use anywhere, anytime, 24/7.
All undergraduate students received an introductory text from ‘Bow at the beginning of the semester. Anyone who has not yet received a text from ‘Bow can contact [email protected].
“Bow is an initiative of the Division of Student Success (DSS) and was first introduced to undergraduate students in fall 2023. Students can use “Bow” to exchange text messages and all UH Questions about Mānoa.
“With ‘Bow just a text away, it’s extremely convenient to ask him questions when I’m busy or on the go. I enjoy interacting with him and see him as a personal helper whenever I need one,” said McKenzie Kurosu, a final year student studying communications. “Students from any year can benefit from him! I feel supported by ‘Bow.”
Final year of study, DSS reported that Bow received more than 100,000 messages ranging from academic advice to more information about sporting events to mental health resources. This resulted in more than 7,600 actions where Bow proactively identified challenges and connected students with UH Mānoa Resources.
“DSS wanted a way to support students on their academic journey in a quick, efficient and friendly way, and “Bow was the perfect tool to implement for students,” said Interim Vice Provost for Student Success Katrina-Ann R. Kapāʻanaokalāokeola Oliveira. “In the first year of introducing ‘Bow’, we have seen how positively it has been received by students and how it has had a huge impact on how they manage their student life. We hope that this trend will continue in the coming years.”
“Bows knowledge, team grows
Bow’s technical background comes from adaptive AIwhich means that its knowledge base is not updated by generating new content, but by monitoring DSSThe adaptive AI also allows DSS to develop ‘Bow’s scripts so he can respond to students promptly. In the summer of 2024, ‘Bow’s scripts were expanded so he can ask more targeted questions to determine the best unit to direct students to.
The development of Bow’s script serves his human helpers (personnel from DSS) – it gives them insights into how to identify and approach students who need mental health support or are considering leaving UH. “Bow’s growth has DSS to expand the team to include three graduate students who will monitor the messages received by ‘Bow and reach out to students who have questions that ‘Bow may not be able to answer. The team members are part of the Master of Social Work program and will apply what they learn in the classroom.
