WA Daksha: Design of a WhatsApp-Based Academic Chatbot Integrated with Gemini AI for Intelligent Faculty Service Automation
This study introduces WA Daksha, an academic chatbot on WhatsApp, linked with Gemini AI, designed to facilitate intelligent academic service automation inside the Faculty of Engineering at Universitas Negeri Surabaya. The study concentrates on analysis and design at Technology Readiness Level 1-3, where system readiness is evaluated through structural requirement validation and expert-based architectural mapping. This process generates a verified system architecture, knowledge base structure, conversation flow, and use case model. The suggested system employs a hybrid conversational methodology that integrates rule-based routing, knowledge-based retrieval using Retrieval-Augmented Generation, and generative AI answers. The design comprises client, platform integration, application, data, and infrastructure layers to guarantee modularity and scalability. The chatbot offers three primary services: academic information, FAQ support, and AI-generated dynamic inquiries via WhatsApp chat. The knowledge base amalgamates institutional academic data, administrative protocols, and contextual AI processing to enhance response precision and dependability. The architectural evaluation demonstrates that WA Daksha provides an accessible and scalable framework for automating realtime academic services, facilitating multi-user interaction among students, lecturers, and the public. This research advances the creation of AI-driven academic service assistants in higher education and promotes SDG 4 by enhancing access to inclusive and high-quality education via intelligent digital academic services.