NTU Singapore and CloudMile upgrade Lyon Bot with generative AI for faster student support

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has elevated its digital student support system by partnering with leading AI provider CloudMile to upgrade its Lyon Bot virtual assistant. The newly enhanced chatbot now runs on Google’s Gemini large language model (LLM), delivering faster and more accurate responses, especially for housing-related queries.

Lyon Bot’s integration with Generative AI improves the student experience by offering smarter, more conversational responses while helping the university reduce manual workload. According to the university, this transition has resulted in over 14 days’ worth of staff hours saved every month.

AI assistant evolves: Enhanced accuracy and engagement

Lyon Bot was first launched in 2020 to assist nearly 6,000 freshmen during enrollment and reduce administrative pressure on staff. Initially built on Google Dialogflow Essentials, the original system struggled with unstructured queries and required constant manual updates. With CloudMile’s expertise, NTU has transitioned to a Generative AI system that processes inquiries using layered AI functions—query understanding, classification, and real-time answer generation from centralized data sources.

This upgrade significantly enhances both accuracy and speed. “With the new AI-powered chatbot, we are currently saving around 14.5 days’ worth of work every month,” said Alvin Ong, NTU’s Chief Information Officer. “This allows our staff to focus on tasks that require human insight and creativity.”

Hybrid AI approach delivers precision and flexibility

NTU is now using a hybrid chatbot model that combines Generative AI with its original intent-based natural language processing system. “We are transitioning from an intent-based Natural Language Processing chatbot to a GenAI chatbot for student housing inquiries to enhance flexibility, scalability, and user experience,” said Mr Ng Kee Haur, Deputy Director, Enterprise IT, Centre for IT Services at NTU. “While GenAI can handle complex, unstructured queries, there is still a role for the intent-based chatbot in specific scenarios. This hybrid approach allows us to balance efficiency with precision.”

The Lyon Bot revamp also showcases CloudMile’s technical strength in deploying Generative AI solutions and supporting data governance for educational institutions. The company provided NTU with consulting, system integration, and AI implementation that met the university’s specific needs for scalability and performance.

Jeremy Heng, Managing Director of Southeast Asia at CloudMile, added, “The transformation of NTU’s Lyon Bot is a testament to our commitment to enhancing human-computer interaction through AI. CloudMile will continue supporting institutions and enterprises in leveraging AI for innovation excellence.”