Artificial Intelligence
What is AI?
There is no standard definition of AI, nor is there a single specific use for it. The term Artificial Intelligence essentially describes technologies that accomplish tasks normally performed by human intelligence, but while humans actually use cognitive functions, AI just seems to and uses others means to produce a result. That said, a type of AI called machine learning may also learn more about how to perform that task each time it does it.
AI is becoming to integrated into modern life, you may not even realise you're using it. AI ranges from voice assistants such as Apple's Siri and Amazon's Alexa, to autonomous vehicles and large language models (LLMs), such as Google Gemini. LLMs are the basis for Generative AI.
Generative AI (GAI) is a form of AI that can complete multiple tasks, such as creating text or images based upon prompts and instructions, using predictions (algorithms) and the resources it's been trained on. You may already have experienced AI in this form with ChatGPT or Copilot, or through an image tool such as DALL-E.
AI generated image
AI in Education
AI can be very helpful for assisting with gathering thoughts, widening ideas and suggesting new directions to research. But it can also write plausible sounding text on any topic and generate answers to a range of questions, including coding and mathematics. This makes it both useful and risky.
Many students are already using generative AI in education for coming up with ideas, structuring essays, gaining feedback, and helping with research. Essays written by AI are unlikely to get the highest marks (but AI capabilities are improving all the time). It is hopeless to “outrun” AI by trying to devise student assessments that AI can’t do. AI is advancing too rapidly.
Accept the uses of AI, discuss them actively with students, and encourage creative use. While AI can be a valuable tool for enhancing productivity and efficiency, it is important to stress to students they should never use AI as a shortcut to circumvent the learning process or deceive others about their level of understanding.
Educators should try out generative AI for themselves and learn how their own assessments will be impacted by it. Institutions need to think about their strategic approaches to AI (review/update their policies, give guidance to students).
Guidance for Students
Ways for students to use AI productively - and ethically!
- Use AI to formulate ideas and help create structures for essays and assignments. Generative AI is quite effective at producing outlines as a starting point for the student.
- They can use AI to provide feedback on writing. AI can proofread, make corrections, comment on style and content. But it's important to acknowledge that they used AI for such feedback.
- They can use AI for research, but with caution! It has limitations and can give misinformation as if it were fact. This is knows as hallucinations.
- They can generate images to add to assignments (not if the creation of an image is the assignment, of course, such as in art classes). But beware of possible copyright concerns.
But make sure they know:
- not to have AI write their assignments for them (this is Plagiarism).
- not to post personal data about themselves or others into ChatGPT or other GAI tools - it may end up part of the data.
- not to post work that is not their own into GAI - they do not have that right.
- to be alert to hallucinations - these happen because GAI is based on LLMs that compare relationships of words and phrases in text and gives out something plausible; it does not know facts or correct answers. Always double-check what it comes up with.
- to be aware of cultural and political biases that might be reflected in the results - such as assumptions that a scientist might be a man, etc.
There are a lot of unknowns and grey areas all around the use of AI. Always start with your university's own policies and guidance.
[Link to institutional information about AI]
For more information: