Sunny: Arizona State University's Chatbot for Students

Next year, Arizona State University is launching a chatbot that will place their knowledge and services right into the palms of their students’ hands. Currently named Sunny, this virtual assistant will be able to answer questions regarding all aspects of college life, from orientation to housing, financial aid, schedules, intramurals, and more. Over the last semester, I have met with members of the Sunny development team to discuss their design and implementation plans. With their information plus a bit of outside research, I was able to combine several frameworks and technologies to build a prototype for Sunny. Prototypes allow developers to evaluate their designs early on, giving them ample time to make any necessary adjustments. I am confident that the Sunny development team will be able to learn from my basic implementation, from its triumphs and failures, to create the best possible chatbot for the students attending Arizona State University.