Artificial intelligence vs. the OCC

Why UMD’s Oral Communication Center Is More Effective Than Just AI

Living in an era where AI is woven into almost everything we do it can be tempting to view AI tools as a complete solution for improving communication skills. While AI can  be helpful in some areas, when it comes to mastering oral communication, nothing beats the human-centered feedback, offered by the Oral Communication Center (OCC).

While AI can be a helpful assistant, UMD’s OCC gives you something deeper, more personal, and ultimately more transformative. Here’s why the OCC stands above relying on AI alone:

1. Human Connection Builds Real Confidence

AI can generate feedback, but it can’t replicate the feeling of speaking to another person, gauging their reactions, or adjusting in real time.

At the OCC, you practice with our peer consultants who offer authentic audience responses. We offer something that AI cannot genuinely simulate. Our supportive presence helps students build confidence that carries over to your class presentations, interviews, and professional settings.

2. Personalized Feedback

AI can tell you if your pacing is fast or if your wording is unclear, but it often misses the subtle elements that make communication more effective like your body language, nonverbal cues, tone, emotional presence, and audience engagement strategies. The OCC’s peer consultants observe you holistically, offering individualized suggestions based on your personality, communication style, and the needs of your specific assignment. These are nuances that even the best AI tools can misinterpret or oversimplify.

3. Practice With Real-Time Interactions

Effective speakers aren’t just good at talking, they’re good at interacting, responding, and pivoting.

The OCC lets you rehearse with consultants who can ask questions, request clarification, offer you live reactions, and help you adapt on the spot. This kind of dynamic practice builds the reflexes needed for presentations, teaching, leadership roles, and everyday communication. AI can’t mimic that unpredictability.

4. Culturally Responsive and Inclusive Support

The OCC understands the everyone’s diverse backgrounds, identities, and communication norms. Consultants are inclusive, culturally aware. This is something AI still struggles with, often due to the limitations and biases in its training data.

The OCC meets students where they are, honoring variation in dialects, identities, linguistic backgrounds, and communication needs.

5. Accountability and Motivation

Let’s be honest, practicing with AI alone can feel low-stakes. It can make you feel as thought the assignment or presentation can be easy and postponed. When scheduling an appointment at the OCC:

• Creates a sense of accountability

• Encourages students to show up prepared

• Provides structure for practicing consistently

The human element gives students a motivation that makes a real difference.

6. Emotional Support and Encouragement

Communication is personal. Many students experience anxiety, fear of being judged, or frustration while preparing presentations.

The OCC offers empathetic guidance. We have consultants who cheer for you, help you calm nerves, normalize mistakes, and want to see you succeed. While AI can provide tips, it cannot reassure you, celebrate your progress, or connect with you emotionally.

7. Integration With Academic Expectations

The OCC is built specifically for UMD students, courses, and faculty expectations. This makes our feedback more context-specific. AI may not fully understand the expectations of your professor or your course.

8. It Helps You Grow Beyond the Assignment

While AI is great for quick fixes, the OCC focuses on helping you become a stronger communicator overall.

You develop skills that extend far beyond one presentation:

• Professional communication

• Interview readiness

• Clear academic speaking

• Leadership presence

• Persuasive communication

The OCC invests in your long-term development, not just the completion of a task.

The Bottom Line

AI is a powerful tool, but it’s not a substitute for real human interaction, expert guidance, and personalized coaching. The Oral Communication Center brings together community, expertise, and practice opportunities that AI simply cannot match. By combining both by using AI as a supplement and the OCC as your core support, you get the best of both worlds and become a stronger, more confident communicator.