Available round the clock, straightforward and anonymous: the very first voice-based AI study adviser at a German university answers questions about degree programmes, applications and campus life – directly via chat and voice.
It was developed by a small team led by Prof. Dr Christian Dach from the Faculty of Business and Management at OTH Regensburg. Anyone interested in studying at this faculty can ask the voice AI questions such as: ‘How long is the application deadline for International Business Management?’, “What documents do I need to submit?” or “What is the study programme like at OTH Regensburg?”. And all this is available round the clock, anonymously and without the need for an appointment.
From classic questions to an insight into everyday student life
This AI-powered study adviser is based on ChatGPT technology, combined with a knowledge base specially curated by the faculty. The digital adviser can answer all questions about the faculty’s Bachelor’s degree programmes and, since spring 2026, its Master’s degree programmes as well. It not only helps with standard enquiries about application deadlines, entry requirements and course content, but also with choosing the right degree programme.
It also provides insights into everyday student life at OTH Regensburg and offers information on career prospects. The AI study advisor thus complements the existing advisory services and is particularly appealing because it is not tied to fixed consultation hours but is available at any time and from anywhere. But that’s not all …
Anonymous and accessible: language AI is proving a hit
It is also the anonymised and low-threshold nature of the service that appeals to young people and encourages them to make use of this AI-driven counselling service. This is the finding of a bachelor’s thesis written by Laura Dieplinger at the department headed by Prof. Dr Christian Dach in early summer 2026. She wanted to find out how the use of AI affects prospective students and what influence this voice-based service has on their choice of degree programme.
The results show that many respondents would be more likely to entrust personal and confidential information to an AI student counsellor than to a traditional counsellor. The anonymous and low-threshold setting can help overcome inhibitions and support prospective students in navigating the range of degree programmes on offer. The conclusion is that AI can therefore be a valuable addition to student advisory services.
Something AI cannot replace: personal advice
“With the AI study advisor, we want to make it easier for prospective students to get started and provide them with the best possible support in choosing their course,” said Prof. Dr Christian Dach, who implemented the project together with student assistant Laura Dieplinger. However, he also points out that whilst the AI Study Advisor can provide initial guidance, it is no substitute for personal advice from the Dean’s Office or the Student Advisory Service – particularly when it comes to individual and binding questions.
Nevertheless, the project has met with great interest, both within the academic community and amongst young prospective students, who are already making extensive use of the AI Study Advisor, with over 1,000 visits to date.
One drawback at present is that using the service requires a ChatGPT login; another is that there is no anonymised insight into the information the AI actually provides, meaning that quality control is not possible, according to Prof. Dr Dach. The team is therefore currently working on migrating the language AI to a different platform in order to address both of these drawbacks in future.
Fancy trying out the AI student advisory service? Here’s how …
This virtual AI study adviser with voice functionality is a first of its kind at a German university. It is available online and is intended for anyone interested in the Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programmes offered by the Faculty of Business and Management.
It can be accessed via the faculty’s website. All you need is a free basic account with ChatGPT. Questions can be asked in writing or via the voice function.
Incidentally: Use of the service is anonymous; no confidential or personal data is transmitted to OTH Regensburg. Furthermore, the university has no access to the content or usage data; the external provider OpenAI is solely responsible for data processing.