14.1.1: Generative AI
- Page ID
- 261561
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Using AI tools can be both good and bad. Generative AI (GAI) specifically describes a group of tools that can be used to create all sorts of digital content. Here are some pros and cons of using generative AI:
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Pros |
Cons |
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GAI be used for tasks such as analyzing data, helping people do their work more effectively and efficiently |
Using GAI can prevent you from understanding what your instructor is teaching, and can cause you to violate ethics and policies of academic integrity including earning a 0 on an assignment, failing a class, or worse |
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ChatGPT can be used to help build research strategies by creating or refining a Boolean search query |
ChatGPT summaries of information may lead to resources that are behind paywalls, defeating the purpose of a search query |
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ChatGPT can be used as an assistant to improve writing |
Using ChatGPT for writing has drawbacks, coming from its training on content that incorporates bias such as sexism, racism, and other harmful terminology |
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ChatGPT can be used to help write citations and reference lists |
Citations generated by ChatGPT may fill in unknown information with “hallucinations” or information that seems like it could be correct, but is completely incorrect; this can include totally made up citations |
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ChatGPT can be used to help non-native English speakers write in clearer English |
Generative AI tools often plagiarize peoples’ work to “create” content |
A good practice is to treat AI like an assistant who is trying to help you, but doesn’t always have the best ideas. You can use AI for limited purposes, like those described above, but in the end your work needs to be your own. If you decide to use AI in your daily life or occasionally for an assignment, here are some suggestions for how to do it ethically:
- “Read your course syllabus. A syllabus lays out the rules and expectations for a course. Many teachers include AI statements that will provide information on what types of AI they will and will not allow in their class.
- Read the instructions for each assignment. Assignment instructions may mention tools that are allowed or expected to be used, or tools that should be avoided.
- Avoid using AI to complete an assignment (unless explicitly instructed to do so). Focus on using AI to help you. For example using:
- Goblin.Tools to help you create to-do lists or judge the tone of your writing so that you can improve on it.
- ChatPDF to analyze a scholarly article and summarize information from it.
- Bing Chat to brainstorm ideas for an essay topic or get suggestions for related topics.
- Grammarly to get suggestions for correcting your grammar while writing.
Remember that AI can be a useful tool, but it is no substitute to learning how to do things yourself! Your course assignments are created to help you learn and you learn by doing” (adapted from Wilson, et al.).