AI helps students stay in the loop, get answers, feel connected
By Elise Ong, August 26, 2025
Cal Poly Pomona has begun to embrace the use of artificial intelligence this academic year, granting students the ability to utilize AI in school to a certain extent, with the hope that it will prepare them for the growing use of AI in their future careers.
Both faculty and students are making use of the new AI initiative, now seen in teaching environments, planning and research. ChatGPT Edu is specifically meant for students and staff. CPP has had an AI resource available prior to this initiative, however.
CPP launched Billy Chat, an artificial intelligence bot designed to send text messages throughout the year back in 2019 to help undergraduate students stay up to date with all things school-related.
The automated messages consist of important reminders regarding deadlines, registration windows and campus closure dates. Billy Chat functions 24/7, allowing students to ask questions at any time.
According to Zoe Lance, a Billy Chat coordinator, there is an extensive number of responses available in the program.
“The knowledge base is about 1,800 or so questions and answers for current students,” Lance said.
If the system does not have an answer, it will get a human to help the student.
Billy Chat will occasionally send out surveys to check in and get feedback from students, which is used to improve the feature throughout the year.
Orientation leader Eric Paulsen said the Office of New Student Programs and Family Engagement frequently works with the Billy Chat team to determine what information should be added based on what students need.
“We work closely with the Billy Chat handlers and let them know what this year’s campaign should be for first-years, and what the statistics are on the surveys that Billy sends out and, what students would like to see in terms of what they tell us at orientation,” Paulsen said.
Even while working alongside the program, Billy Chat has proven useful to Paulsen in the past.
“It’s reminded me about add/drop period as well as when campus closes,” Paulsen said. “It will help you find resources on the website very well.”
Billy Chat is not only used for academic purposes. Lance and fellow coordinator Cecilia Santiago-Gonzalez stated there is a big emotional component involved. They make sure to implement messages that will foster a connection with students.
“We’re a big institution; … it could maybe feel lonely,” Santiago-Gonzalez said. “We’ve been reading a lot around (how) college students want to feel that connection. We want to make sure that they know that there’s a lot of people rooting for them, even if we communicate through a bot.”
Surveys sent out at the end of the year for feedback on Billy Chat have shown more than 80% of students find this resource either helpful or very helpful, according to Lance.
“We’re getting messages all the time from students who are saying ‘Thank you!’ and ‘Love the bot!’,” Lance said.
A new feature in the works this academic year will allow Billy Chat to help promote what is happening on campus. By texting “#events”, students will be sent biweekly messages that list upcoming events, allowing students to get more involved on campus.
Students should be aware that misuse of this resource may result in consequences. Sending inappropriate or harmful messages is considered a violation of the Student Conduct Code. The Office of Student Success monitors all messages sent to Billy Chat.
Feature image courtesy of CPP News
