Does AI “Know” Registrar?

I think we all tread cautiously around Artificial Intelligence “solutions” and recommendations at this stage of its development for higher ed applications and reports. However, I was looking at one of our focusEDU older Adobe Acrobat consulting reports we did for an institution a number of years ago and Adobe flashed an advertisement on the page about use of their AI tool. The report was one that was prepared for Cornell University and sent to them on May 20, 2017. It dealt with NSC and NSLDS Reporting Requirements and FSA Compliance. It was an Adobe Acrobat .pdf report.   Relatively technical registrar details in the Report.

Adobe Acrobat AI Tool

When the Adobe “advertisement” popped onto my screen about letting their AI system help “advise” on a question I might have on the report, I was intrigued since I was certain that Adobe Acrobat Registrar Artificial Intelligence knew NOTHING about “NSC and NSLDS Reporting Requirements and FSA Compliance”. However, I’m being bombarded with everyone’s “version” of AI and I figure that Adobe might be worth trying at only $59/year. I subscribed. Then, on the Cornell Report document, it permitted me to ask any question(s) I might have. OK, let’s give this Adobe AI system a test since I just subscribed to for the next year. I asked the question, “What is the best way for registrars to assist students with graduation requirements?” I was just SURE that Adobe Acrobat AI would be clueless.

Wow! Was I wrong. This is the answer to my question from their AI system:

The Registrar Artificial Intelligence Response

“The best way to enhance college graduation processing is to implement the following recommendations:

•  Develop a Registrar Training Program to provide training on policies and procedures related to graduation processing.
• Update college registrar position descriptions to include compliance with academic programs and enrollment standards.
•  Implement an institutional policy that gives the Office of the University Registrar authority over compliance standards.
•  Increase student awareness of self-service functions for accessing academic records and applying for graduation.
•  Confer degrees earned at the end of the Fall term with a December conferral date.
• Implement tools like the Campus Solutions Academic Advisement and Analysis Database for degree clearance and course planning.
•  Use the Campus Solutions Graduation Tracking processes to improve degree clearance.”

How about that? Not too shabby for an AI program. I was impressed and I’ll keep trying/testing Adobe’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool on several of the projects we’re working on over the next few months.