Penn State Taps IBM to Develop AI Virtual Assistant to Foster Success for Student Body
IBM has announced a collaboration with Penn State to develop MyResource, an AI-powered student concierge built using watsonx technology. The system, scheduled to launch in fall 2025, will serve nearly 90,000 Penn State students by providing streamlined access to campus resources including academic advising, health and wellness, and financial aid services.
The initiative arose from student leaders identifying needs for improved access to campus services, supported by university analysis. IBM consultants are utilizing watsonx Assistant's conversational AI capabilities and watsonx.ai for hosting and training foundation models with Penn State's data. The system will include AI guardrails to detect and remove potentially harmful language or sensitive data, while watsonx Discovery will enhance response quality and accuracy.
IBM plans to expand this solution to other U.S. higher education institutions in the future.
IBM ha annunciato una collaborazione con Penn State per sviluppare MyResource, un concierge per studenti potenziato dall'intelligenza artificiale, realizzato utilizzando la tecnologia watsonx. Il sistema, previsto per il lancio nell'autunno del 2025, servirà quasi 90.000 studenti di Penn State fornendo un accesso semplificato alle risorse del campus, tra cui consulenze accademiche, salute e benessere, e servizi di aiuto finanziario.
L'iniziativa è nata da leader studenteschi che hanno identificato la necessità di un miglior accesso ai servizi del campus, supportata da un'analisi universitaria. I consulenti IBM stanno utilizzando le capacità di intelligenza artificiale conversazionale di watsonx Assistant e watsonx.ai per ospitare e addestrare modelli fondamentali con i dati di Penn State. Il sistema includerà misure di sicurezza AI per rilevare e rimuovere linguaggio potenzialmente dannoso o dati sensibili, mentre watsonx Discovery migliorerà la qualità e l'accuratezza delle risposte.
IBM prevede di espandere questa soluzione ad altre istituzioni di istruzione superiore negli Stati Uniti in futuro.
IBM ha anunciado una colaboración con Penn State para desarrollar MyResource, un conserje estudiantil impulsado por inteligencia artificial, construido con la tecnología watsonx. El sistema, programado para lanzarse en otoño de 2025, atenderá a casi 90,000 estudiantes de Penn State, proporcionando acceso simplificado a los recursos del campus, incluyendo asesoramiento académico, salud y bienestar, y servicios de ayuda financiera.
La iniciativa surgió de líderes estudiantiles que identificaron la necesidad de un mejor acceso a los servicios del campus, respaldada por un análisis universitario. Los consultores de IBM están utilizando las capacidades de inteligencia artificial conversacional de watsonx Assistant y watsonx.ai para alojar y entrenar modelos base con los datos de Penn State. El sistema incluirá medidas de seguridad de IA para detectar y eliminar lenguaje potencialmente dañino o datos sensibles, mientras que watsonx Discovery mejorará la calidad y precisión de las respuestas.
IBM planea expandir esta solución a otras instituciones de educación superior en los Estados Unidos en el futuro.
IBM은 Penn State와 협력하여 watsonx 기술을 기반으로 한 AI 지원 학생 컨시어지를 개발하는 MyResource를 발표했습니다. 2025년 가을에 출시될 예정인 이 시스템은 거의 90,000명의 Penn State 학생들에게 학업 상담, 건강 및 웰빙, 재정 지원 서비스 등 캠퍼스 리소스에 대한 간소화된 접근을 제공합니다.
이 이니셔티브는 학생 리더들이 캠퍼스 서비스에 대한 접근성을 개선할 필요성을 확인한 데서 비롯되었으며, 대학 분석에 의해 지원되었습니다. IBM 컨설턴트들은 watsonx Assistant의 대화형 AI 기능과 watsonx.ai를 활용하여 Penn State의 데이터를 사용해 기본 모델을 호스팅하고 훈련하고 있습니다. 이 시스템은 잠재적으로 해로운 언어나 민감한 데이터를 감지하고 제거하기 위한 AI 안전 장치를 포함할 것이며, watsonx Discovery는 응답 품질과 정확성을 향상시킬 것입니다.
IBM은 향후 이 솔루션을 미국의 다른 고등 교육 기관으로 확대할 계획입니다.
IBM a annoncé une collaboration avec Penn State pour développer MyResource, un concierge étudiant alimenté par l'intelligence artificielle, construit en utilisant la technologie watsonx. Le système, prévu pour être lancé à l'automne 2025, servira près de 90 000 étudiants de Penn State en fournissant un accès simplifié aux ressources du campus, y compris le conseil académique, la santé et le bien-être, et les services d'aide financière.
L'initiative est née des leaders étudiants identifiant des besoins pour un meilleur accès aux services du campus, soutenue par une analyse universitaire. Les consultants IBM utilisent les capacités d'IA conversationnelle de watsonx Assistant et watsonx.ai pour héberger et former des modèles fondamentaux avec les données de Penn State. Le système inclura des garde-fous IA pour détecter et supprimer un langage potentiellement nuisible ou des données sensibles, tandis que watsonx Discovery améliorera la qualité et la précision des réponses.
IBM prévoit d'étendre cette solution à d'autres établissements d'enseignement supérieur aux États-Unis à l'avenir.
IBM hat eine Zusammenarbeit mit Penn State angekündigt, um MyResource zu entwickeln, einen KI-gestützten Studenten-Concierge, der mit der watsonx-Technologie erstellt wurde. Das System, das für den Start im Herbst 2025 geplant ist, wird fast 90.000 Studenten von Penn State bedienen, indem es einen vereinfachten Zugang zu Campusressourcen wie akademischer Beratung, Gesundheit und Wellness sowie finanzieller Unterstützung bietet.
Die Initiative entstand aus der Identifizierung des Bedarfs an verbessertem Zugang zu Campusdiensten durch Studentenführer, unterstützt durch eine universitäre Analyse. IBM-Berater nutzen die konversationellen KI-Fähigkeiten von watsonx Assistant und watsonx.ai, um Basis-Modelle mit den Daten von Penn State zu hosten und zu trainieren. Das System wird KI-Schutzmaßnahmen enthalten, um potenziell schädliche Sprache oder sensible Daten zu erkennen und zu entfernen, während watsonx Discovery die Qualität und Genauigkeit der Antworten verbessern wird.
IBM plant, diese Lösung in Zukunft auf andere Hochschulen in den USA auszudehnen.
- New business partnership with major educational institution Penn State
- Potential for expansion to other U.S. higher education institutions
- Practical implementation of watsonx AI technology in education sector
- None.
Insights
This strategic collaboration marks IBM's calculated entry into the $342 billion global education technology market, with the Penn State implementation serving as a high-profile proof of concept for their watsonx AI portfolio. The project's scope, covering 90,000 students, provides IBM with valuable large-scale deployment experience and data that will be important for refining their AI models for the education sector.
The multi-product integration (watsonx Assistant, watsonx.ai, and watsonx Discovery) demonstrates IBM's ability to deliver comprehensive AI solutions, potentially creating significant barriers to entry for competitors. This is particularly important as the education sector increasingly embraces AI technology, with the student success market alone estimated at
The planned expansion to other higher education institutions signals IBM's intent to establish a scalable, repeatable revenue stream through licensing and implementation services. With over 4,000 colleges and universities in the U.S. alone, the potential for recurring revenue is substantial. Each implementation could generate both upfront professional services revenue and ongoing subscription fees for AI model hosting and maintenance.
This move also strengthens IBM's competitive position against other enterprise AI providers by:
- Establishing early market presence in the education sector before competitors can gain significant traction
- Creating valuable reference cases with prestigious institutions
- Developing sector-specific AI models that can be refined and redeployed efficiently
- Building a moat through accumulated education-specific data and use cases
The timing is particularly strategic, as institutions are actively seeking AI solutions to improve student outcomes and operational efficiency. By focusing on student success and resource accessibility, IBM is addressing a critical need while positioning itself as a trusted partner in education technology transformation.
MyResource student concierge is being developed with watsonx, IBM's portfolio of AI products
The project stems from Penn State student leaders identifying a need for improved access to campus services, such as academic advising, health and wellness, and financial aid, while an analysis by the university discovered similar findings. In listening to students, Penn State and IBM are collaborating to create a concierge to help students navigate the many resources available to them, help increase support, and further advance satisfaction for the student body.
"At Penn State, student success is our priority, and this is an exciting step toward continuing to enhance the lives and experiences of students across our University," said Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi. "We're thrilled to collaborate with IBM to leverage advancements like generative AI, a critical tool to help us create a more student-centered experience, remove barriers, improve retention rates and further achieve a sense of belonging for all Penn Staters by allowing our students to navigate our institution seamlessly and intuitively."
"IBM is honored to co-create a solution with Penn State that will play a significant role in its goal to advance engagement from students through an AI-infused assistant," said IBM General Manager, Public Sector Frank Attaie. "Penn State students want quicker access to the important resources they need to be successful during their college experience and beyond. By integrating IBM's AI, Penn State can unlock new possibilities for its students."
IBM consultants and experts are leveraging the conversational AI capabilities of watsonx Assistant to build MyResource. Watsonx.ai will be used to host, train and tune foundation models with data provided by Penn State. This will help the system promptly generate answers and recommendations with AI guardrails to detect and remove potentially harmful language or sensitive data. The tool will also use the conversational search capabilities within watsonx Discovery to help improve the quality and accuracy of the responses given by MyResource.
As part of this collaboration, IBM plans to bring this solution to other higher education institutions in
About IBM
IBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting expertise. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. More than 4,000 government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM's hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM's breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM's long-standing commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service.
Visit ibm.com for more information.
About Penn State
Penn State is a multi-campus, land-grant, public research university that educates students from around the world and supports individuals and communities through teaching, research and service. Penn State is an R1, a classification given by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Higher Education to the very best research universities in America, reaching a record
Contact:
IBM
Laura Gallardo
Laura.Gallardo1@ibm.com
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