Since late 2022, the ChatGPT chatbot has generated media attention and interest as an Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool that can generate meaningful text responses to questions or instructions.
While AI could be useful for your studies, it's important to understand how they work and to maintain your academic integrity.
Hey ChatGPT, what are you?
ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, is a chatbot based on a generative AI language model. You ask it a text-based question and it generates a text-based response. For example:
"Hey ChatGPT, what are you?"
ChatGPT: "I am an AI language model developed by OpenAI. I was trained on a massive dataset to generate human-like text in response to various prompts."
Generative AI tools and study
Generative AI tools can be trained to generate new and original outputs, such as text, images or music.
This means they may be able to help with studies, for example:
- Providing creative inspiration or suggestions to get you started
- Recommending authoritative sources of information
- Generating study resources, such as quizzes or flashcards and helping you summarise or organise information
- Demonstrating grammar, sentence construction and language skills
Risks of using generative AI for study
There is a range of considerations when using information generated by AI.
Academic issues
- Academic integrity – If you use AI tools and present the work as your own, you put your academic integrity at risk. Be sure to check with your course coordinators if you plan to use generative AI tools to help you complete assignments.
- Copyright – Under Australian law, works created by non-humans are not eligible for copyright protection. In addition, there is a question about the materials used to train AI and what protection these materials had, which may lead to future legal challenges.
Reliability of information
Because AI is trained on datasets of information, the answers are only as good as the data the system has available. Information provided by generative AI tools could be incomplete, outdated, or inaccurate.
So, what does ChatGPT think?
Given there are both opportunities and risks to using AI for study, we posed the question to ChatGPT: "We're writing a blog post about you, and if students should use you for study. What would you like us to say?". Here is the response:
As a language model AI, I would like the blog post to emphasize that while I can provide information and assist in answering questions, I cannot replace traditional learning methods or substitute human guidance and instruction.
My capabilities include generating text based on context and answering questions to the best of my abilities, but it's important for students to understand that I am not capable of providing personalized guidance, evaluating critical thinking skills, or providing feedback on assignments.
I can be a useful tool for students looking for quick answers, additional resources and information, or support in writing and research projects. However, it's crucial that they also use other sources and resources, and seek the help of a teacher or tutor when needed.
In conclusion, I can be a helpful supplement for students, but should not be relied upon as the sole source of information or guidance for their studies.
That sounds like some intelligent advice to us.
Learn more about AI
Complete the Library’s Using AI in your studies Digital Essentials module to learn more about using generative AI tools responsibly and how to maintain your privacy and academic integrity.