The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay has developed an AI chatbot to communicate with students about finding resources on campus.

Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Access and Success at UW-Green Bay, Meagan Strehlow, spoke about the new app and how it will help students find resources more efficiently.

“Using an AI bot allowed us to open up a new avenue for students to ask questions that they need answers to,” Strehlow said.

“Phlash” works in two ways — students can have a conversation with the chatbot, and it will also send temperature check-in texts every seven to ten days, Strehlow said.

These messages ask students how they are doing in classes, as well as personal mental health check-ins to make sure that students are aware of various campus resources, according to Fox11 News.

The app makes sure that students have everything they need and are aware of resources they can reach out to for help, Strehlow said.

“The goal is to help students academically, emotionally, or perhaps something much simpler, such as finding a good restaurant in the area to eat lunch,” Strehlow said.

UW-Green Bay considers AI a tool that helps both staff and students gain access to information more efficiently. The university kept this outlook in mind when developing the app, Strehlow said.

“We really know who our students are so we looked to this as a tool to fill in the gap among students,” Strehlow said. “The main priority is the students and making sure that they can gain access in a way that is comfortable and beneficial to them.”