Hispanic-Serving Artificial Intelligence: Do Hispanic-Serving Institutions Use Chatbots and Can They Speak Spanish?

Although many scholars have evaluated how Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) serve and can better serve Latinx students and their communities, scant research has integrated artificial intelligence (AI) technology within this evaluation of diversity and servingness. With institutions of higher education continuing to explore ways to integrate AI into their everyday operations, it is critical to understand whether HSIs are leveraging AI chatbot technology, given this specific technology’s ubiquity in modern society. This study aimed to evaluate whether HSIs employ AI chatbot technology on their websites and the usability of this technology in accessing admissions information in English and Spanish. As a result, this study analyzes all 558 Hispanic-serving institution (.edu) websites and interacts with embedded AI chatbots to evaluate whether HSIs utilize chatbots and if these chatbots are engineered or staffed to communicate with Spanish-speaking audiences. This study employed a mixed methods approach, utilizing qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis methods. Given the study’s emphasis on human–computer interaction, the researchers also engaged with interactive research methods to perform artificial intelligence testing. Findings suggest roughly 20% of HSIs employ AI chatbots, but far fewer use bilingual English/Spanish chatbots (12%). However, HSIs are equally as likely to staff English (20%) live agents as Spanish (21%) live agents when users are elevated from AI. Our findings demonstrate the importance of having Spanish and bilingual information embedded into HSIs to truly serve Latinx students and their families (Garcia, 2019). More specifically, Spanish should be incorporated within technological spaces where Latinx students and their communities may seek HSI information to pursue higher education such as how to apply for admission and financial aid. Ultimately, HSIs must consider how technology services like AI chatbots provide resources and answer questions in Spanish to ensure equitable access to information for Latinx students, their families, and their communities. Moreover, HSI leadership must continue to explore how HSIs may be transformed through technological innovation, such as artificial intelligence integration within digital spaces, including the HSI’s website.