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Digital Literacy: Evaluating Electronic Sources and Safely Engaging Online

Artificial Intelligence

AI tools can be valuable learning aids that help save time by summarizing information, organizing your ideas, and getting you started on an assignment. However, they should always be used with caution. Please refer to the chart below for some pros and cons related to using AI tools and what to keep in mind if you choose to use them for your assignments.

 

Remember -- Every teacher has different rules about when and how you can use AI tools in the classroom. BEFORE using a tool for an assignment, be sure to ask your teacher how they would like you to use (or not use) AI to complete your work.

 

Pros and Cons of Using AI*
Pros Cons
Assistance
Teachers can use AI to create lesson plans, quizzes, and other classroom activities. Students can use AI to create study guides or use it as a quizzing tool to test their knowledge.

Bias
AI tools only know as much as the information they are trained on. Biases and opinions held by actual people can be transferred to AI responses and can blur the lines of fact and opinion.

Speed
When you aren't sure how to get started on an assignment, AI tools can provide tips on getting started or how to improve writing. While a teacher or caregiver can also help with these strategies, AI can help in the middle of the night or when another person isn't available to help.

Errors
AI cannot think on its own, and it is not currently held accountable for misinformation. Because it attempts to mimic information it has been trained on, it is possible for it to create "hallucinations" (or false information), including incorrect citations that lead to books and articles that don't exist. AI generated images can include gibberish language and mistakes in anatomy.

Individualization
Programs like ChatGPT can revise materials and assignments, such as providing them in a language or grade level a student best understands. These revisions can help reduce unfair advantage or disadvantage and allow students to perform at a higher level.

Cheating
With time constraints and pressure to complete many papers and projects, it is very tempting for students to rely on AI to do their homework for them. While AI can be a helpful study aid, submitting an assignment written by AI (even if you edit it!) is considered cheating. 
Context
AI tools that have been trained on historical documents can help students interact with historical figures and understand history on a level that simple texts don't allow. For example, some AI tools allow students to ask Anne Frank questions about her life.		 Isolation
Using AI removes the personal element from the education process. AI doesn't think or feel any emotions. It only produces information it has collected from other sources. Increasing AI usage will decrease the amount of social interactions students have with their teachers and students and may lead to feelings of isolation.
Personalization
Similar to creating an individualized approach to learning, AI can also provide personalized approach that keeps a student's past grades and assignments in mind. AI can provide extra guidance and personalized study tips to students who may need a little extra help in a certain subject.

Jobs
There are many concerns that AI will begin replacing jobs held by real people. For good or bad, the evolution of AI will change how we train for an do our jobs in the future. 

* Adapted from "5 Pros and Cons of AI in the Education Sector" from Walden University, Online Education Degree Programs

Not all Generative AI tools are created equal. Some tools are a little better for specific tasks. The following list are some common AI tools and how they can be used, but not all of the AI tools are listed below. This list recommends tools that can be helpful to use as a student. Keep in mind, almost all AI tools require an account to be created to access the free version of these tools. 

  • ChatGPT - Can be used as a study tool when preparing for an exam. Be sure to check for mistakes!
  • PerplexityAI - Uses the internet to find relevant sources. Great for finding information on current event topics - it even cites its sources. Is a good replacement for search engines like Google. 
  • CoPilot - Great tool for brainstorming ideas, studying for a test, or generating images. Be sure to check for mistakes!
  • QuillBot - Great for the high school level. Helps walk you through the writing process. 

REMEMBER! All information provided by an AI tool should be evaluated before using! 

How to evaluate information given by AI Tools

GenAI creates responses based on patterns and its knowledge, the information provided by these tools are often not reliable. How can you protect yourself from this false content? Critical thinking! Here are some critical thinking questions you can ask yourself when evaluating information created by AI:

  • Who? -- Who created this? Was it created by a trusted source? Does it give you a source?
  • What? -- What is being presented? Is it overly biased or sound too good to be true?
  • When? -- When was this information created? Does what you see align with the time period it is from? Is the creation date recent?
  • Where? -- Where is this information coming from? Can you track down the original source or verify the source?
  • Why? -- Why was this created? 
  • How? -- How do you know this is real? What evidence do you have? Can you find the information elsewhere?

It's important to remember that you should never accept videos, images, or information in general at face value. Everything should be evaluated! With AI tools, it is often hard to fully evaluate the information since you cannot always see where the AI tool is receiving this information from. When in doubt - verify elsewhere! 

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