Student AI Help & Resources

Understand what generative AI is and how is works, AI capabilities and limitations, AI best practices, find useful tools, and more resources.

What Is Generative AI and How Does It Work?

Generative AI, when used effectively, can enhance productivity and elevate your work. It simulates creativity by generating various outputs, including original writing, code, and images. To achieve the desired results, it’s essential to understand how generative AI processes data.

GenAI, like ChatGPT, relies on statistical probabilities from extensive datasets. It learns patterns from articles, books, and other sources to create human-like responses. When you prompt ChatGPT, it doesn’t think about what it knows; instead, it predicts responses based on typical patterns related to the topic. However, it’s crucial to curate prompts thoughtfully to receive accurate results and verify them through additional research.

Image-generating tools, such as DALL-E, connect visuals to the semantic meaning of written language using text-image pairs. Keep in mind that your prompt undergoes multiple rounds of interpretation in this process.

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What Are Its Capabilities/Limitations?

Capabilities

As a student, you can use Generative AI for a variety of things. It's capable of compiling research, brainstorming ideas/topics, writing outlines, and even writing entire essays. It can also be used to proofread and improve writing that you have already completed. See Useful Tools to find out what kind of tools are available and what they can do for you as a student.

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Limitations

Although generative AI may seem like the end-all tool for thinking, it most definitely has its limitations (the Matrix shouldn't come to fruition just yet!). Because of these limitations, it's important that you exercise caution when using generative AI such as ChatGPT. Here is a non-comprehensive list of limitations to keep in mind as you explore these tools:

  • Bias
  • False Information
  • No Common Sense
  • Lacks Creativity
  • Cannot Fix Complex Mathematical Problems
  • Content May Be Dated (not accessing current content)

To learn more about these and other limitations of Gen-AI, see these resources:

Best Practices When Using AI as a Learning Tool

Safe and Transparent Use of AI (Staying Out of Academic Trouble)

  • Use AI as a resource, not a replacement for your own work.
  • While scholars are on the fence about the need to cite ChatGPT or other genAI tools, it's best to be completely transparent and cite what you used ChatGPT for

Reference: Faculty Focus - AI Eroding

Critical Thinking

This comes down to recognizing the limitations of Gen-AI. Ask yourself:

  • Where might the information you're receiving fall through?
  • What can you do to identify and supplement this missing or false information?

Reference: Is ChatGPT trustworthy? (Scribbr)

Prompt Engineering

Prompt engineering is truly an art. A person who knows how GenAI works and is aware of prompt techniques can receive much more useful outputs than someone who has no background in AI. Here are some resources to get you started in prompt engineering:

Attribution

ChatGPT and other generative AI tools should be treated the same way as any other source when it comes to plagiarism and academic integrity. Because the ideas and information you receive from these tools are not your own, it would be plagiarism to use its work without proper acknowledgement and citation. (Review the University's policies on and definitions of plagiarism.) Scribbr also provides a helpful article on how to cite ChatGPT.

There is no consensus on the perfect way to attribute work to ChatGPT. Always check your professor's policies to see when/how you are allowed to use these tools in your assignments, and be sure to give credit where credit is due.

Useful Tools

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Bonus Info

Copilot generative AI was used to refine the content provided on this page.