Generative AI

Efficient use of AI tools

In order to take advantage of the power of AI tools you have to understand when, how, and if certain AI tools are appropriate to use. This can be a bit tricky, but the more you try out different tools, the easier it will be to get a sense for how the tools work and when they are appropriate to use.

A useful way to explore different AI tools is to start off with a subject you are very familiar with, like a hobby or interest of yours. This way it is easier for you to determine if the generated responses are relevant, and how that specific tool operates.

What is generative AI good at?

Tools such as ChatGPT and Copilot (or other similar tools that generate text) you can use to create text, summarize text, translate, or rewrite text to the level you request.

Generative AI is also good at breaking down tasks so that you can get started easier. You can ask Copilot to help you organize your studies, create study schedules to help you prioritize and help you get an overview of all you have to get done. You can also use Copilot as a "support teacher" to help you study different subjects.

Generative AI is also good at answering general questions you might have otherwise had to ask your teacher. Save your tutoring time and try asking Copilot your questions (but don't forget to critically evaluate the answers).

What is generative AI less good at?

Generative AI is not good at honoring your integrity. You give away a lot of information about yourself when using these types of tools.

Generative AI is not good at fact checking the answers it gives you. Generative AI is programmed to give you answers based on the information it has been trained on, not to reflect or reason. The AI tool you use might be trained on older information. Sometimes it is better to search the internet for answers, rather than asking AI.

Generative AI is not very good at contextualizing and question certain statements. It reproduces biases and prejudices contained in the information it has been trained on, unless you actively prompt it to do otherwise.

Generative AI is not environmentally friendly. It uses a lot of energy, way more than when you search the internet or our databases. Be mindful and evaluate if you can find out the answer to your question some other way before turning to AI.

Generative AI is less good at respecting copy right. The fact that you can upload, for example, academic articles or images to these tools does not mean that you have the right to do so.

The art of prompting

You interact with generative AI tools by asking questions or describing your problem through text. This is called prompting. By prompting you tell the AI what type of answer you are interested in. The more clear you make your prompt, the better the answer you get will be. You might have to rephrase your prompt a few times before getting it right.

It's common to start out with a question, and then expand and reprompt depending on the answers you get. Here are some tips to get you started:

• Try being as specific as you can be
• Describe the tone you want the answer to emulate: "Write so that a 10 year old would understand...", "Make it more academic...", "I want an inspiring text..."
• Describe the format you want the answer written in (for example, bullet points)
• Roleplaying: Give the AI a role to play, for example study-buddy, critic, or teacher.

Referencing AI tools

If you use any AI tools in your academic work, you have to acknowledge how and which tool you used. You can read more about how to reference AI tools here:

APA style on How to cite ChatGPT

The same is true for images created using AI, you have to acknowledge that the image is AI generated. If you want to use Copilot or any other AI tool in your academic work you have to make sure to check with your teacher that you are allowed to do so.

Example:

Figure 1
An AI generated image of an owl

Comment: Image generated using Copilot with the prompt "brown owl in a forest" (translated from Swedish).