The influence and implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) systems have spread throughout industries, modern life, and, of course, academia. The headlines might be focused on the controversy surrounding students using ChatGPT in their studies, but the “AI revolution” isn’t just occurring in the classroom and study halls. Behind the scenes of busy college campuses across the United States, AI is managing dining operations, dorm assignments, and daily logistics.
The world of academia isn’t chasing after the newest tech fad by utilizing AI. They’re using it for economic survival.
The Bottom Line Behind Investing in AI
The AI revolution taking place on college campuses is spurred on by the financial pressures that higher education is currently facing. Most industries would be crippled by the perfect storm they are facing. Not only has enrollment been declining at many academic institutions, but public funding is uncertain, and endowments are under increasing pressure. Even when faced with fluctuations in the student populations, universities cannot downsize like private companies. They must continue to maintain their infrastructure, faculty, and services.
By implementing AI solutions, these higher education institutions can make the operating systems that already exist work smarter, faster, cheaper, and with greater efficiency. This helps avoid cutting services or staff, and can be implemented without causing issues for the students.
Smart Kitchens Give Smarter Service
At Brandeis and Boston University, AI is making foodservice operations smarter and more efficient. Students have the option to order their lunches between classes on apps, but what they don’t know is that there is a sophisticated AI system at work behind the scenes optimizing all aspects of their meal. It can predict demand, track waste, and even manage the food containers that students are urged to return later.
This AI platform is called Topanga, and it’s a financial lifeline to universities. The AI tracks student usage patterns with great precision, and the results are impressive.
Brandeis University had a 98% return rate on the reusable food containers and slashed single-use packaging by 74%. Meanwhile, Boston University removed more than 200,000 single-use items and eliminated disposable packaging by 78%. The money saved through the AI-managed surcharges was invested back into student programming by Boston University.
The use of Topanga by these universities is not only an eco-friendly practice, but an economic lifeline to keep dining services available during a time of tight operating margins.
Data-Driven Dorm Pairings
AI isn’t just helping save universities money in the kitchen; it’s helping solve an issue that has long plagued housing offices on campus. Roommate mismatches can lead not only to student drama but also to costly mid-semester dorm reassignments. The solution for some colleges is to use an AI algorithmic matchmaking. This change in how dorm assignments are made has had surprising success.
For example, Rental Buddy’s Combo Match pairs roommates by utilizing behavioral data. The student’s sleep schedules, study preferences, cleanliness habits, and lifestyle traits are analyzed by the AI to pair compatible students. The app is specifically designed to prevent student conflicts that lead to swapping dorm rooms at an expense to the school, and helps eliminate administrative headaches.
The Hidden Infrastructure
Campus operations run beneath the surface of student life, and AI has become a part of that invisible infrastructure. Students are benefiting from the streamlining of services they use every day, even if they don’t realize it. For those attending universities that use Topanga’s ReusePass platform, the students don’t have to download a special app, carry around cards, or learn additional technology to access the cafeteria system. Instead, they receive SMS reminders to return containers from the automated system.
Average return rates across 430+ commercial kitchens reach 98%. This dramatically reduces waste volume and doesn’t require additional staff labor hours. The seamless integration of this technology makes it invisible to the users. Yet, it is essential to successful operations. The students remain oblivious to AI orchestrating their dining experience based on algorithms, which is the desired effect.
AI That Enhances Rather Than Replaces
AI should free humans to help other humans. This is the philosophy that can reshape how universities use technology and implement it across all departments.
“AI isn’t about cutting jobs,” explains Topanga CEO Page Schult. “It’s about giving staff better tools, so they can focus on students, not endless paperwork.”
The evidence gathered supports a human-centered approach. For instance, at Harvard, students in the CS50 course interact with an AI teaching assistant called “CS50 Duck.” The AI assistant is a helpful guide that allows the human instructors to focus on teaching. CS50 Duck doesn’t provide answers, but it does guide the students toward solutions that they discover on their own.
Founded by former Siri engineers, Echo Labs provides real-time AI captioning tools. This reduces the reliance on live transcribers while enhancing lecture accessibility. This frees up resources for other student support services.
Having AI handle routine, predictable tasks so humans can focus on the more complex, interpersonal work is beneficial to students and helps them have a successful college experience.
The Bottom Line Revolution
AI technology isn’t about replacing traditional methods, but becoming a financial asset to keep higher education accessible and operational. As the debate over whether ChatGPT constitutes academic dishonesty continues, AI is quietly operating in the background at universities to make sure the cafeteria remains stocked, student living situations are harmonious, and the campus operations are running efficiently on a tight budget.
The AI revolution is occurring at scale across American higher education and is altering how universities help more than 20 million students across the United States make the most of their education. Though this may seem like a mundane application of the technology, AI is helping to keep campus life functioning smoothly, even if the students never hear about it.
