As the new academic year kicks off, students are mapping out their learning paths in the coming year and strategise for further studies or stepping into the workforce. With artificial intelligence (AI) evolving at breakneck speed, many are turning to it for guidance. Surveys show that students are increasingly comfortable opening up to AI when it comes to career choices. Locally, the education sector has been pushing boundaries in AI platform development. A scholar at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has successfully developed an AI chatbot to guide Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) candidates through their post-exam options, while another organisation has launched a ‘School Special Education and Gifted Management System,’ using AI to help students with special educational needs plan their careers based on personality and interests.
AI applications are becoming increasingly versatile. Integrated into instant messaging platforms, AI can interactively and rapidly assist students in seeking out entry requirements and salary benchmarks for various careers. By analysing the data of students’ input, AI can offer personalised recommendations for both academic and career pathways that truly fit their strengths and aspirations.
More than 85% of students have consulted AI about career choices
In a joint research survey conducted in 2024 by two Indian institutions, researchers surveyed over 2,200 students and more than 35,000 counsellors across 56 countries. The findings revealed that more than 85% of students are using AI tools, such as ChatGPT, to seek guidance on career pathways.
Meanwhile in Chile, a team has developed an AI-powered chat agent named ‘Kai’, designed to simulate human counsellors on the instant messaging platform ‘WhatsApp’. By analysing personal data provided by students, ‘Kai’ delivers personalised career guidance tailored to individual needs. Between 2024 and 2025, the project attracted over 43,000 students to participate in the research. The research findings revealed that 28% of students preferred interacting with human counsellors, while 35% showed a stronger preference for engaging with ‘Kai’. The emergence of AI chatbots may enhance involvement among students who are reluctant to interact with human counsellors.
Both studies yielded similar conclusion, reflecting AI is proving to be powerfully ally in career counselling for students:
1.Data-driven Analyses
Students who used ‘Kai’ shared that they felt more ease during the process, free from the fear of being judged by ‘counsellors’ based on academic performance or their indecisiveness about the future. Unlike human counsellors, AI does not carry preconceived notions or biases. Instead, it relies purely on data analysis, offering advice grounded in facts and figures rather than personal impressions.
2.Round-the-Clock Service with High Efficiency
Unlike human counsellors, AI never needs a break. Students can seek guidance anytime, without being constrained by service hours or appointment slots. They are free to engage at their own pace. What’s more, ‘Kai’ replies at lightning speed — five times faster than human counsellors, significantly improving response efficiency.
3.Instant Delivery of Factual Information
‘Kai’ also excels at staying on-topic, delivering precise, data-driven answers with minimal deviation. Whether course details, university rankings or entry requirements, students receive factual information promptly and clearly.
Interestingly, the nature of student enquiries shifts depending on whether they are speaking to AI or human counsellors. With human counsellors, students often seek guidance on decision-making and experiential insights, asking questions like, ‘Do I have the patience to become a teacher?’ In contrast, conversations with AI are typically focused on fact-focused and pragmatic information. Students are more inclined to ask about job qualifications, salary expectations, and benefits—queries that AI can answer swiftly and objectively. This complementary dynamic between AI and human counsellors offers a more holistic approach to career planning, empowering students to make informed choices.
AI Tools for Career Guidance:
Career and Life Planning: Know Yourself!
Through answering true or false questions and applying “Holland Occupational Themes (RIASEC)”, explore career types that align with your personality from the six major occupational personality types to help find direction for your future.
Harnessing the power of AI, CareerExplorer matches students with careers that align with their personality traits, interests, and skill sets. By analysing responses to a series of integrated questions, this system generates personalised career recommendations.
Locally Developed Programme ‘Professor E’
Associate Professor and Senior Advisor (Entrepreneurship) at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Erwin Huang, recently introduced ‘Professor E’, an AI chatbot designed to offer students a personalised learning experience and emotional support. The platform is envisioned as an AI tutor equipped with personalised features, memory and emotional sensitivity. Derived from students’ learning abilities, interests, and emotional states, ‘Professor E’ offers tailored academic guidance and emotional counselling. In one case, it successfully assisted students who stumbled in DSE exams to obtain alternative articulation pathways. The AI chatbot has also been piloted across multiple tertiary institutions.
Professor Erwin Huang revealed plans to actively roll out ‘Professor E’ across primary and secondary schools, aiming to offer students not only career planning and emotional support, but even guidance on personal relationships. Thanks to AI’s strengths in personalisation and privacy, students feel free to speak their minds without fear of judgement or exposure. The hope is that ‘Professor E’ will become a trusted companion in every student’s pocket, offering timely advice and empathetic support whenever it is needed.