@新熵 Original
Author丨Zhangdao
Edit丨Nine ploughs
In the era of rapid iteration of science and technology, AI has penetrated into all walks of life, and the college entrance examination voluntary application is no exception.
According to recent reports, as the number of applicants for the college entrance examination has climbed to a record high, the demand for professional consultation from parents and candidates has also risen. As we all know, the college entrance examination voluntary application typically faces the challenge of information asymmetry: it is often difficult for parents and students to fully grasp the key data such as teaching level and employment situation of all colleges and universities, so they urgently need professional guidance to make an informed choice.
In this context, the high-priced consulting services provided by Zhang Xuefeng have become particularly important, and even if the fees are high, there are still many parents who are willing to pay high fees in exchange for quality guidance.
However, expensive traditional consulting services clearly do not meet the needs of everyone, especially for ordinary families. At this time, the introduction of AI technology provides a new solution for voluntary filling in the college entrance examination.
With its powerful data processing capabilities, AI can predict each student's college and major through algorithmic models. Theoretically, this method is expected to alleviate the problem of information asymmetry and help students make more objective and scientific decisions. The participation of technology giants such as Baidu and Alibaba further proves the huge potential and market importance of AI in the field of voluntary reporting.
So, under the impact of AI technology, can traditional "dream card" consulting services such as those provided by Zhang Xuefeng resist the emerging algorithm challenges?
01. AI volunteers with many players to fill in the market
At present, the AI voluntary filling service market presents a chaotic situation, mainly concentrated in three camps:
The first is a large internet company led by BAT, which uses its own browser platform to provide AI-powered voluntary filling services.
The second is a series of platforms based on AI large models, such as iFLYTEK Xinghuo, Tongyi Qianwen,
Douyin bean bag, Tencent ingot, 360 brain and other mainstream large model platforms. These platforms offer two main types of services: users can directly bring specific questions to the platform for answers, and at the same time, they are also equipped with a number of intelligent assistants for college entrance examination volunteers to provide AI-based volunteer filling suggestions.
The last category is the pseudo-AI players who market under the banner of AI, and their services actually lack real AI technical support.
In the AI voluntary reporting market, BAT's applications are particularly active.
Taking Alibaba's Quark browser as an example, it has provided free volunteer filling and college entrance examination information search services for college entrance examination candidates and parents for six consecutive years since its incubation. In 2024, Quark will place the college entrance examination voluntary filling function in a prominent position on the application icon and the main interface, becoming the main function of the season.
Users can easily enter information such as provinces and cities, scores, and rankings through the Quark APP, and use the "Intelligent Volunteer Selection" function to obtain personalized volunteer recommendations. These recommendations are divided into three categories: "impactable", "relatively secure" and "guaranteed". In addition, Quark also provides further filtering and sorting functions based on the user's geographical location, institution type (such as 985, 211 or Double First-Class) and professional preference, so that the recommendation is more in line with individual needs.
The operation of Baidu APP in this field is similar to that of quark, and it also highlights the function of college entrance examination volunteers. In the app store, the logo of the Baidu app prominently adds the element of college entrance examination volunteers, and its detail page also focuses on the promotion of college entrance examination volunteers.
Users can directly enter the special college entrance examination service page by searching for "college entrance examination". On this page, through the analysis of big data and algorithm models, Baidu's AI volunteer assistant can also provide volunteer predictions based on colleges or majors, and the classification also covers impactful, more secure, and guaranteed options.
Let's look at the second category of players. For the AI large model platform, the college entrance examination voluntary filling function is actually a way to demonstrate its powerful model processing capabilities.
These platforms typically offer two ways to interact: the first is a direct Q&A mode. Users can bring specific questions to the platform, such as entering information such as the college entrance examination region, test scores, regional ranking, and interest directions, and ask questions to the large model.
Based on these detailed input data, the AI model is able to generate a detailed college entrance examination volunteer information table, which not only includes the recommended universities and majors, but also details the admission probability of each choice. The specificity and detail of the questions are key, as the difference in information will directly affect the level of detail and accuracy of the answers provided by the model.
Secondly, in order to help users with weak questioning skills, these platforms also provide a college entrance examination volunteer assistant tool, i.e., an agent.
Taking Douyin Doubao as an example, when searching for college entrance examination volunteers, relevant agents will appear, which usually provide a series of preset question directions and prompts to help users construct more specific and targeted questions, making the questioning process more convenient and efficient. Through such interactive design, the AI large model platform enables each candidate to receive voluntary advice based on their personal situation.
Pseudo-AI players don't need to say much. According to the "2024 China College Entrance Examination Voluntary Filling and Employment Prospect Big Data Analysis Report" released by iiMedia Consulting, the payment scale of China's college entrance examination voluntary filling market in 2023 will be 950 million yuan, and nearly ninety percent of college entrance examination candidates are willing to choose the college entrance examination voluntary filling service. In the face of such a huge market, it is normal for some pseudo-AI players to come to the hot spots.
03. Is AI a foreshadowing of technological equality or a hidden danger?
The consequences of pseudo-AI players are obvious: each platform has its own system of recommending universities, and the result is "a thousand platforms with a thousand recommended universities". This confusion may lead to candidates facing dilemmas such as "backshifting" and "slipping".
So, what is the ability of platforms such as real AI large model platforms and quarks to fill in volunteers?
When evaluating the ability of Quark and Baidu APP in AI application application, it is a practical method to directly compare the admission probability guess provided by the two platforms for the same candidate information.
Similarly, it is also possible to directly compare the differences between the "impactable, more secure, and guaranteed" volunteer options provided by the two platforms, which can reveal the algorithm accuracy and market positioning of each platform.
For example, if you take the information of a science student in Henan with a total score of 550 points, and choose the same school and major on the Baidu and Quark AI college entrance examination volunteer pages to simulate, you may find that there is a significant difference in the admission probability given by the two platforms. Further, in the "impactable, safe, and guaranteed" options, the schools recommended by the two platforms are also different.
This difference can stem from several aspects, such as the data source and update frequency, and the accuracy of the AI model depends heavily on the quality and real-time nature of the data used. If a platform has access to a broader and more frequently updated database, it may provide more accurate predictions.
It could also be a factor of model algorithms, as different AI platforms may employ different algorithms or models to process the same data. Some platforms may use algorithms that are more advanced or better suited to specific types of data, providing more accurate predictions.
The problems posed by this difference cannot be underestimated. It can lead to students and parents being more confused when it comes to choosing which platform has more reliable recommendations. What's more, if the data relied on is not comprehensive or updated in a timely manner, AI's recommendations may deviate from reality and affect students' future development.
Taking Quark as an example, according to a previous DoNews report, some users complained on the Weibo platform about the problem of Quark APP in filling in the college entrance examination volunteers, saying that there was a slippage phenomenon when using the APP to fill in the volunteers.
Some netizens said that although many bloggers recommend the Quark APP, his suggestion is for reference only, especially in areas where the new college entrance examination system has just been implemented. Although he has filled in a number of guaranteed schools according to Quark's recommendation, netizens reminded everyone to pay more attention when using the Quark APP to avoid wasting points.
Another netizen complained that don't use the Quark APP when reporting volunteers, because it is very inaccurate and easy to slip. It is recommended to use the application guide book issued by the school, although the book is thick, it is more worthy of serious study.
It can be seen that compared with real consultation, Quark's AI voluntary filling is more like a "data black box", which is only calculated based on public data, and is prone to unknown variables. Candidates can use it as a reference tool to make up for the information gap, but they need to be cautious about its accuracy and usefulness.
So what about the AI large model platform that is in the limelight?
The results were also less than satisfactory, and they were more likely to make mistakes in the voluntary Q&A. After verification, it was found that after using the hypothetical candidate data for Q&A, and then checking through the volunteer function of Quark and Baidu APP for the college entrance examination, it was found that the schools recommended by it were prone to a low probability of admission, which was obviously inaccurate.
Taking Wenxin Yiyan as an example, with the question and answer of "Henan science candidates, college entrance examination score of 550 points, recommend three university volunteers", the simple large model will give Shanghai Sports University, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Henan University of Economics and Law three university volunteer options, with the same candidate data to check the college entrance examination volunteer data of Quark APP, and find that the admission probability of Shanghai Sports University is 35%, and the admission probability of Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics is only 1%.
The reason for this is that the answers of these large AI models are inherently spontaneous, unlike specific college entrance examination volunteer platforms such as Quark and Baidu APP, which have a complete set of college entrance examination data. The algorithm of the AI large model is not specially designed for the voluntary filling of the college entrance examination at all, and the training data and evaluation methods are not accurate enough, so it is naturally unable to cope with the complexity of the voluntary filling in the college entrance examination.
In short, although AI has shown great potential in the voluntary filling of college entrance examinations, it cannot completely replace traditional human consulting services. At the moment, the best approach may be to combine the data analysis capabilities of AI with the empirical judgment of human consultants.
For AI service providers, the key to future development is to continuously improve the breadth and depth of data sources and optimize the accuracy of algorithms.
03. In addition to the AI college entrance examination volunteers, the planning of large factories
When we researched the college entrance examination voluntary filling products, we found that the service content of these apps is similar, and most of them can provide basic services such as college information, enrollment data, and personality tests for free.
However, once you need a personalized volunteer filling service, you must open the corresponding VIP to unlock all the features, and the price ranges from a few tens to a few hundred yuan.
It is worth noting that the free AI voluntary filling function provided by Quark and Baidu APP is actually not inferior to these paid products. In addition to not having to pay, in recent years, the publicity efforts of large manufacturers in this regard are not inferior, which is worthy of further study.
From this point of view, the strategy of large manufacturers to launch AI college entrance examination voluntary filling services is actually a means of brand promotion and expanding market influence. This service is not only a tool, but also a subtle way to shape and strengthen its brand image, positioning itself as a pioneer in innovation and a reliable helper.
By providing AI volunteer filling services, Dachang is able to reach a large group of potential users - college entrance examination candidates and their families. This is a group of people who need to make big decisions at critical stages of their lives, and they are highly sensitive to the tools and services that can help. In the process, Dachang emerged not only as a tool provider, but also as a leader in the field of education and technology, strengthening the public's trust and reliance on the brand.
As a scientific and technological service, the AI voluntary filling service effectively demonstrates the technical strength of large manufacturers in AI and big data processing. This kind of technology display helps to enhance the company's technology image and attract more users who are interested in high technology, especially the younger generation and their families. In this way, large manufacturers not only establish an image of innovation and advancement in the minds of consumers, but also may attract future talents or potential business partners.
In addition, by participating in the field of education, especially when it comes to future development decisions such as volunteering for the college entrance examination, Dachang is able to expand its influence at the social level. While providing help, we are also strengthening the brand's connection with a positive image such as "responsible" and "trusted". This branding helps to stay ahead of the curve in a competitive market.
Obviously, the college entrance examination is not only an important educational node, but also a huge traffic entrance.
Quark, Baidu and other large manufacturers have taken a fancy to this, and by providing free and high-quality volunteer filling services, they have attracted a large number of users and increased the user stickiness and traffic of the platform. This strategy not only helps to improve the user activity of the platform in the short term, but also lays a solid foundation for the deep awareness and user trust of the big brands in the long run.
The far-reaching impact of this strategy may gradually become apparent in the next few years and become an important part of a company's competitive strategy.