Revolutionizing Email Management at CityUHK: Achieving Inbox Zero with AI Automation

The Computing Services Centre (CSC) is glad to announce the launch of AI-Powered Email Automation, an innovative service designed to help departments streamline enquiry handling and achieve the aspirational goal of "Inbox Zero". This end-to-end solution leverages artificial intelligence to automate email reply drafting and streamline data collection across systems significantly reducing manual effort and enhancing administrative efficiency.

The AI-Powered Email Automation service is now available for departments handling high volumes of student enquiries. We invite you to explore how this "AI agent" can transform your daily operations.

Key Benefits of AI-Powered Email Automation in one of our use cases in CityUHK

• Achieving Inbox Zero Efficiency
  Designed to handle volumes of email enquiries, this solution transforms the time-consuming process of manual checking and drafting by reducing the handling time for each email from 15 minutes to just 1 minute, and the system improves efficiency by over 90% — reducing the daily workload from 50-man-hourto 3 hours.
• Intelligent Verification & Drafting
  The service connects directly to the university databases to automatically verify student records — even when enquiries come from personal email addresses. It intelligently classifies emails (e.g., transcripts, grants, leave applications) and generates precise draft replies based on standard templates.
• Human-in-the-Loop Accuracy
  While the AI handles the heavy lifting of data retrieval and drafting, the workflow maintains a "human in the loop" approach. Staff members review and confirm the AI-generated drafts before sending, ensuring that every response is accurate, personalized, and professional.

Data handled by the AI-powered Email Automation service are protected with strict security measures, including encryption and controlled access. They are not used for training any public or external AI models, ensuring privacy and confidentiality. These safeguards guarantee that information is processed responsibly and kept secure at all times.

Academic and administrative units interested in adopting AI automation to achieve Inbox Zero are encouraged to contact the CSC at IT.ServiceDesk@cityu.edu.hk for further details.