Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is a relatively new technology that is developing quickly. Like the internet in general, these AI tools, like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, or Microsoft Copilot are neither good or bad when it comes to finding and using information. Instead, they represent a new way in which we can interact with information.

This guide's intention is to help you critically engage with generative AI tools and focuses on how they intersect with the academic research process.

Students, please first confirm with your professor that using ChatGPT or other content produced by generative artificial intelligence (AI) is acceptable before using it for any course assignments.

Artificial Intelligence (AI):

• Involves using computers to do things that usually require human intelligence

• AI Guide Quickstart [Northern Illinois Univ]

Generative AI:

• A type of artificial intelligence (AI) that can generate new content (images, text, videos, art, etc.) using natural human language

• Generative AI in the Classroom [Illinois State Univ.]

ChatGPT: 

• a generative AI tool developed by OpenAI, that is designed to generate human-like responses based on prompts and questions
• it can generate answers to questions, summarize concepts, create poems, write computer code, draft essays or emails, simulate a text-based conversation, etc.

GPT stands for Generative Pre-trained Transformer:

• Generative: means it is capable of generating new content (text, images, etc.)
• Pre-trained: means it is trained using massive amounts of text and datasets found on the Internet
• Transformer: refers to the transformer architecture it's built on, which has been proven effective for natural language processing

• ChatGPT and Education [Northern Illinois Univ]

Glossaries

• 70+ A to Z Artificial Intelligence Terms in Technology

• AIPRM’s Ultimate Generative AI Glossary

• Glossary of AI Terms for Educators