College Students Are More Polarized Than Ever. Can AI Help?

Higher education institutions are utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance various aspects of campus life beyond teaching and learning, including admissions, alumni networks, fundraising, and advising.
Due to political polarization that heightened during the Israel-Hamas war, there has been a significant rise in discomfort among college students sharing their political views on campus, rising from 13% to 33% between 2015 and 2024.
To address campus divisions, colleges are increasingly working with organizations that promote civil dialogue, like Braver Angels, BridgeUSA, the Institute for Citizens and Scholars, and the Constructive Dialogue Institute (CDI).
CDI has developed an AI-enabled component for its Perspectives learning program that aims to teach students constructive dialogue skills through AI coaching and feedback, providing a platform for safe and realistic practice scenarios.
The potential of AI as a constructive dialogue tool is debated, with CDI’s research suggesting the most benefits come from a constrained and pedagogically focused AI coach, while using AI as a mediator or adversary carries inherent risks, such as making false equivalencies and misrepresentations.