How the University of Johannesburg uses AI chatbots to increase student engagement and reduce costs
Public Sector Blog
The University of Johannesburg (UJ) developed MoUJi, an AI-powered chatbot to improve student engagement and reduce operational costs during the high-volume application period.
- MoUJi handles over 100 common student queries across multiple channels including web, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp
- Reduced temporary staff from 120 to 60, saving over R800,000 during peak application season
- Provides 24/7 support for applications, registrations, financial statements, and personal information updates
- Built using Amazon Lex and AWS cloud services, ensuring scalability and high availability
- Future plans include incorporating generative AI and large language models to further enhance student interactions
The chatbot successfully streamlines student support, reduces administrative burden, and provides instant, accurate information across multiple platforms.
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