Southeastern is introducing an “Ask Roomie” messaging service on Wednesday, Nov. 15. The AI chatbot will launch an AI Roomie that aims to help students answer questions across a broad range of campus topics.

AI’s rapid expansion and growing presence opened the door for Roomie to be brought to life through a platform students already use. The idea for “Ask Roomie” was born at a University of Louisiana System annual For Our Future conference. 

Other schools in Louisiana have integrated helpful AI tools into their systems to benefit and retain students, and Southeastern decided it was time to explore this new realm for its students as well.

Southeastern contracted EdSights, a software development company focused on college student retention and completion, to create the AI. Assistant Director for Academic and Career Exploration (ACE) Brad Bergeron helped tailor the system to Southeastern’s needs and develop chatbot Roomie’s personality. The AI will use adaptive technology to become more personable with each use. 

AI Roomie will send an introduction text message to students on Nov. 15. Students will have the option to accept or deny AI Roomie’s “friend request.”

“Ask Roomie” will reach out to students periodically throughout the semester and check in on them. The AI will also gather information on students to help the university learn what students need. The system has access to all the information on Southeastern’s website, so students can ask for information on events for specific days, where offices are located, etc.

Interim Dean of the College of Honors and Excellence Dr. Claire Procopio shared that “Ask Roomie” is a part of a mission to provide support and guidance for all current and transitioning students. 

Students can tell and ask AI Roomie whatever they want. However, all information collected through “Ask Roomie” can and will be relayed to Southeastern offices pertaining to the topic of the chat.

“Chatting with Roomie will allow students to locate Southeastern resources designed to help them if they struggle with school, connections, mental health and/or financial needs,” Procopio said.

The chatbot will lead struggling students to the correct service depending on their personal requests or information shared between them and AI Roomie, cutting out the stressful research process. AI Roomie stores the information he learns and will check in on students to see if they visited the services Roomie recommended or if they are still having issues.

Southeastern created preset alerts that will go off when certain harmful or distressing language is used when texting Roomie. 

“From the intro text, students will know that this is not live monitoring. It is not meant to be a reporting tool,” Bergeron said.

If a student responds with a text that triggers an alert, the student will receive a text from Roomie notifying them to call campus police/911 if they are having self-harm thoughts or thoughts of harming others. AI Roomie will provide the student with these contacts. Appropriate offices will be able to view what happened during the chat, so they can follow up with the student and make sure they received the help they needed.

Students who are not interested in Roomie talking and checking up on them can text “#pause,” and AI Roomie will not engage. Students can contact ACE to be reinstated on the interaction list if they change their mind.

The OG Roomie will be in the union ready to answer student’s questions on his AI counterpart when it launches Wednesday. Contact ACE for more information or concerns.