CLEVELAND — Cleveland State University introduced a new staff member a few weeks ago. Her name is Ava, and she’s a virtual engagement officer that’s powered by AI.
What You Need To Know
- Cleveland State University introduced a new virtual engagment officer named Ava, she's powered by AI
- Her role is to send texts and emails to CSU alumni
- The hope is that she's able to engage with a lot more people than a human could
John Templeman, the director of annual giving at CSU, said her job is to reach out to former Cleveland State Students.
“Our whole intent with this is to engage as many CSU alumni as possible,” he said.
Templeman said that the goal isn’t to replace real people.
“For basic interaction and initial interaction, I think that this works really well,” he said.
The hope is that they are able to expand their database.
“To be able to engage and keep up with our alumni base, which is at 140,000 living alumni, this helps us work more efficiently,” he said.
Ava sends texts and emails to Cleveland State alumni. Her portfolio size is 1,000 people, whereas a human gift officer’s portfolio is 150.
If there’s something that Ava isn’t able to answer or do, she directs them to a staff member who can. Templeman explained that he hopes Ava helps more CSU alumni and that her role expands.
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