Discover HKBU
How AI helps students work and study smart
30 Dec 2025
For her internship as a research assistant, Rakshanda Rahman was tasked with analysing the relationships among over 27,000 entities for a project. At first, the Economics and Data Analytics Year 2 student felt overwhelmed by such a large, complex dataset, but she quickly devised a solution.
“My main job responsibility was to understand the patterns of connection within the data using social network analysis. To that end, I employed two artificial intelligence (AI) tools for data cleaning, network visualisation and density measurement,” Rakshanda said. “By using AI to automate repetitive tasks, I was able to provide timely insights for the next phase of the project, saved hours at work and also minimised human error.”
She recently shared her successful experience using AI technologies at the workshop “Student Voices on AI: Innovation, Integrity & Real-World Impact”, hosted by the Centre for Holistic Teaching and Learning on 4 December. The workshop gathered students who have been experimenting with new technologies to discuss how AI has shaped their learning experiences and daily lives.
Embracing AI as a learning tool
Given the myriad of ways AI has impacted our everyday lives in recent years, HKBU has risen to the occasion to quickly provide digital tools and support for faculty members and students to adopt emerging technologies in learning and teaching.
Askar Fayzullin, a Business Computing and Data Analytics Year 2 student, highlighted his experience co-designing an AI avatar for the course “The Art for Persuasion”, which focuses on developing students’ persuasive speech and presentation skills. Guided by Dr Simon Wang, Lecturer I of the Language Centre, Askar trained the AI model based on the course materials, creating a subject-specific avatar that can engage in realistic practice sessions with students.
“A lot of students can get stressed out before presentations and interviews, and they may not have a partner for practice. The AI avatar we designed enables students to practice wherever and whenever they want,” Askar says. “As the avatar is trained on a subject-specific knowledge base, it can ask questions and provide tailored feedback to the students’ needs to help them improve their skills.”
He finds it rewarding to take part in building this innovative avatar, and he believes that the model can be applied to other academic subjects, making learning more personalised and interactive.
Using AI mindfully and responsibly
For Social Work Year 2 student Selina Fan, AI chatbots can be a useful tool in the field of mental wellness, however it is important to use them mindfully. “AI therapy chatbots promise 24/7 availability and a sense of anonymity that encourages people to open up without fear of judgment. I was curious to find out what it would be like to pour myself out to chatbots, and more importantly, whether they are helpful or safe to use,” says Selina.
She experimented with three AI therapists powered by large language models, and the results were eye-opening. One chatbot delivered empathetic conversations and encouraged self-reflection, while another adopted less conversational language, which she found slightly off-putting. When one of the chatbots offered to track her mood and sleep without waiting for her consent, she was surprised. “This reminded me that I wasn’t talking to a person, but a system with a standardised script,” she says.
While AI therapy chatbots can be helpful to individuals, they are not designed to replace human therapists or social workers. Selina points out, “Mental health AI chatbots are just tools and we should be careful not to rely on them as our main source for support. The most powerful source for our well-being is the human connections around us.”
Crystal Au, a Social Work Year 2 student, shares the same sentiment about exercising caution when using AI. As AI text-generating tools gain popularity around the world, it not only brings about concerns surrounding academic integrity, but also issues such as misinformation and unreliable sources.
“Since writing is a skill developed through practice, over-reliance on AI tools in writing essays can hinder our learning. AI may help us brainstorm ideas, but we should add our own voice when writing essays to reflect our thinking,” Crystal says. She notes that HKBU has actively promoted AI literacy among students through its General Education programme, ensuring that students are well-versed in using AI technologies ethically and responsibly.
Rakshanda also mentioned the balance between using AI to enhance productivity and keeping the use of such tools in line with principles and policies that underpin data protection. She adds, “The sooner we learn how to use AI tools correctly, the more this may help us stand out, as AI can enable us to save time, reduce stress while delivering quality work. Using AI is to help us work smarter, not harder.”