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Generative AI tools are able to generate text, images, and other content by identifying patterns in the data they were trained on and, when prompted, creating new content based on those patterns. A text generator like ChatGPT is essentially stringing words together that are statistically likely to sound good next to each other based on the patterns it learned from its training data. However, generative AI doesn't understand the meaning of the words it produces or the symbolism of the images it generates, even if its output sounds or looks like a human could have produced it.
Copyright, intellectual property, and plagiarism are topics of serious debate among AI users and creators. Do generative AI tools like ChatGPT and DALL-E plagiarize the work of the creators whose text, images, and creative output make up their training data? That question will be debated for the foreseeable future.
Something that's not up for debate? Passing off AI-generated work as your own is plagiarism.
Some professors may allow or even encourage AI use at various stages of a research or writing project. But using a tool like ChatGPT to generate text that you turn in as your own, unaltered, violates the university's academic integrity policy and, more importantly, doesn't allow you to demonstrate what you know or practice critical thinking skills.
TIP: Just askAlways check with your professors about their policy for AI use, and seek clarification if you need it. Your professors may forbid it completely or allow you to use it for some tasks or in some cases. If you are not sure about a particular use - just ask!
Use generative AI for:
Don't generative AI use for:
There are AI tools specifically designed to help with scholarly research! These tools are not generative AI; they're more like AI-assisted scholarly search tools. Most require accounts, offer a limited free version, and have paid options beyond the free level. A few to play around with are:
The organizations that maintain publication, style, and citation guidelines are starting to incorporate AI tools into those guidelines. If you're not sure whether to cite an interaction with an AI tool, talk to your professor or your librarians.
Search "artificial intelligence" in the streaming video databases below for documentaries, educational videos, and more about AI.
