New tools promise faster processing, better student-course matching, and improved risk assessment.
For example, Uni Guide uses AI to help students identify universities and courses that match their aspirations, and UniReady Global has developed AI capabilities that allow providers to assess whether an applicant is likely to be a genuine student. Some companies are looking to go further and automate key parts or even all of the admissions process.
The appeal is obvious.
AI processes information at a scale that human teams cannot match. You can triage applications, identify missing documents, flag discrepancies, detect potential fraud, and highlight where an applicant’s background, ambitions, and chosen program may not match.
For organizations facing increasing pressure to hire talent effectively while managing compliance and costs, AI offers real benefits.
However, there is a critical difference between using AI to support admissions decisions and allowing Agentic AI to do so.
The danger begins when risk flags become automatic rejections, course suitability scores become gatekeepers, and automated recommendations are treated as more objective than the human judgment they were designed to inform.
Three risks require special attention.
The first is institutional repetition.
Professor Marnie Hughes-Warrington observes that the large-scale language models that underpin AI are inherently historical. They learn from what happened before.
That’s what makes them effective. But it also means we risk reproducing yesterday’s patterns rather than identifying tomorrow’s possibilities.
Universities rightly talk about preparing students for a changing world. However, admissions systems trained on previous cohorts may repeatedly favor enrollees who are similar to those who have already been admitted. Efficiency comes at the expense of opportunity, potentially overlooking talented students whose potential falls outside historical norms.
The second challenge is bias.
Admissions systems trained on previous cohorts may repeatedly favor enrollees who are similar to those who have already been admitted.
AI systems inevitably inherit the strengths and weaknesses of the data used to train them. Automation does not necessarily eliminate existing cultural, linguistic, or educational biases. They can be embedded and amplified.
For institutions working to increase participation and diversity, this should give them pause. As Norbert Wiener’s “coordination problem” reminds us, AI systems do not always produce results that reflect the values of those who build them.
The third challenge is ethics.
Nelson Mandela famously described education as “the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.” If that is true, then decisions about who has access to education cannot be a purely technical issue.
Your decision to enroll will affect your life. Although AI may appear neutral, it cannot exercise judgment, empathy, or accountability. As Pope Leo
None of these are arguments against AI. Quite the opposite.
When put to good use, AI can make admissions processes more efficient, consistent, and effective. Four defining guardrails were adopted when developing The Uni Guide and UniReady Global’s AI applications. Clarify how the recommendations will be achieved. Meaningful human surveillance. and human responsibility for both process and outcome.
Higher education must embrace AI but resist the temptation to confuse automation with wisdom.
Hospital admissions of the future will not be AI-driven, but supported by AI. Systems recommend, explain, and identify risks while humans make decisions, accept responsibility, and remain accountable for their outcomes.
It’s not just about improving admissions practices. This is a way for universities to ensure that technology continues to fulfill its mission, rather than redefining it.
About the author: Dr Lawrence Pratchett is the Chief Executive Officer of UniReady Global, a cutting-edge technology platform that streamlines and enhances the assessment of international student applications. UniReady Global leverages advanced document and financial verification alongside AI-powered authentic student interviews to help universities significantly reduce risk in the admissions process.
Prior to founding UniReady Global, Mr Pratchett held senior academic leadership roles at the University of Canberra, where he was Professor of Political Science, Acting Vice-Chancellor and previously Dean of the Faculty of Business, Government and Law.
Lawrence will be leading a panel discussion on AI in recruitment and admissions at the upcoming PIE Live Asia Pacific on the Gold Coast.
