Conversational AI and the Gen Z journey: What’s changing, what isn’t

The landscape of online search behavior is transforming at unprecedented speed. While historical technology innovations (like ATMs) took decades to reshape consumer habits, generative AI is rapidly altering how prospective students discover and evaluate higher education institutions. Today's Gen Z students increasingly use tools like ChatGPT for early research, while still turning to institutional websites for trusted, detailed information as they narrow their choices.

This session explores how conversational AI — including on-site tools like Squiz's Conversational Search — fits into a broader shift in user behavior. You'll gain a nuanced understanding of how prospective students are blending traditional navigation with AI-based interactions, and what this means for content strategy, site architecture and institutional readiness. We'll share usability testing findings, real-world student behavior patterns and actionable strategies for modeling content, implementing taxonomy and structuring governance so your digital ecosystem remains discoverable and relevant in an AI-driven environment.