Surprising lessons: What our AI pilot taught us about building trust with students

As generative AI continues to reshape global industries, international education faces a timely and important question: What role should AI play in a profession built on human connection?  

At IDP, our answer is simple: AI should supercharge how our people connect with customers, not take it over.  

While automation and scale dominate much of the conversation, we believe the future of international education will continue to rely on what makes us uniquely human: trust, empathy and expertise.   

That’s why we’re doing things differently. We’re building AI that strengthens the personal connections students count on, and makes every interaction more seamless, responsive and meaningful.  

A pilot designed to support, not replace

When we launched the pilot of our AI-powered student assistant, Navi, we knew it had potential. But in just one month, Navi outperformed all our other digital channels in collecting a student’s academic profile. 

That result caught us by surprise, not because we didn’t believe in the technology, but because it is still a minimal, early version. It was built with care, but still very much in learning mode. 

So, what does it tell us? 

It tells us that when you design AI around real student needs, it works. It tells us that when you focus on relevance over hype, you get traction. It also reinforces something we’ve always known in international education, that meaningful engagement comes from understanding people, not just automating processes. 

Designing for moments that matter

Running through WhatsApp, a channel that students already know and use, Navi connects with thousands of students a day to provide early guidance and capture key information quickly and easily. By taking care of routine tasks like data collection, Navi frees up our counsellors to focus on what they do best: guiding students through life-changing decisions with care and confidence. 

It doesn’t try to be everything. What it does do is make it easier for students to move forward, by capturing the right details at the right time, then passing that information seamlessly to our expert counsellors. It doesn’t replace the human connection; it makes it stronger. 

Learning from our approach to AI

Navi’s early success also speaks to something deeper: the value of trust.  

We’ve built Navi on something no one else can match: our own trusted data. Every year, hundreds of thousands of students turn to us for support with their education journey, from counselling and applications to IELTS testing. The depth, quality and integrity of this data allows us to build highly personalised experiences that reflect how students actually behave and what they really need. 

Equally important is the trust behind that data. Students know IDP has been a responsible steward of their information for decades. In fact, 94% of global students said they highly trust IDP. Our AI development is guided by strong ethical and governance frameworks, giving students and their families confidence in how our tools are built and used. 

In a competitive landscape dominated by off-the-shelf solutions, we’re proving that trust, context and care are what make the difference. Our unique combination of scale and trusted, curated data sets us apart, enabling us to deliver what others simply can’t.  

A broader AI strategy, grounded in our values

Navi is still in pilot. There’s more work to do with much more to learn, refine and build. In the first quarter of FY26, we’ll be expanding Navi to more markets and adapting it to the channels people use in each of those regions. But its early performance has given us valuable insights. 

This pilot is just one part of our broader innovation strategy, alongside initiatives like our new Counsellor Recommendation Engine, which streamlines the search, shortlist and selection process for faster, more personalised guidance, and FastLane, which accelerates application turnaround by connecting students with institutions offering instant decisions.   

These tools are helping us reach more students earlier in their journey and provide smarter support at every stage.  

For us, AI is about reimagining what’s possible. It’s about using the power of technology to deepen trust, scale support, and honour the human journey at the heart of international education.