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AI: Becoming an Informed User: Home

This guide reviews important concepts about artificial intelligence (AI) that Jefferson College students should know, including helpful uses, limitations, and risks.

Becoming an Informed AI User

You may already be familiar with artificial intelligence (AI), especially generative AI like ChatGPT, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, & Claude, but how much do you really know about it? As with any tool, it's important to understand what it is and how it works before you try to wield it, otherwise you may end up in a tricky situation. As a student, it's especially important to know how AI can impact the work you do here at Jefferson College.

Whether you've used generative AI once a day or just once ever, it's important to understand what AI is, when it is (and isn't) appropriate to use it, and what to be aware of when using it for college assignments and personal reasons. Use the tips, tricks, and resources in this guide to become an informed AI user.

DISCLAIMER: Unless otherwise mentioned, any tool mentioned in this guide does not constitute an official recommendation or that Jefferson College has vetted the tool. Likewise, it does not indicate that these tools are suitable for FERPA-protected information. 

This guide is intended for information purposes, and tools should be independently evaluated. Identifiable personal information should not upload into an AI, and considerations of copyright (including student copyright) apply as well.

AI vs. GenAI

"Before the generative AI boom of the past few years, when people talked about AI, typically they were talking about machine-learning models that can learn to make a prediction based on data...Generative AI can be thought of as a machine-learning model that is trained to create new data, rather than making a prediction about a specific dataset. A generative AI system is one that learns to generate more objects that look like the data it was trained on." 

Zewe, A. (2023, November 9). Explained: Generative AI. MIT News. https://news.mit.edu/2023/explained-generative-ai-1109 

For AI-related terms & their definitions, see the Key Terms page.

AI Courses

Chatbot Arena

Using AI: Best Practices

Header image with network design stating "Best Practices for using AI"

As with any tool, AI is not always appropriate to use in every situation. However, there are several situations where using AI can be beneficial. Some good ways to use it include:

  • Brainstorming ideas or topics for assignments
  • Breaking down complicated concepts and/or explaining things in a different way
  • Summarizing content -- both others' and your own
  • Generating outlines
  • Translating writing into different languages
  • Creating study aids like flashcards
  • Testing yourself on your own knowledge
  • Developing your AI skills and competency

Do not use it for:

  • Situations where factual accuracy or data integrity is needed
    • Content generated by AI may be inaccurate, misleading, biased, and even entirely made up -- including citations! If you need to be certain, it's best to do the research yourself. 
  • Replacing your learning experience
    • AI should only be used to supplement your learning, not replace it. Using AI in this way means you won't learn, which defeats the point of taking college classes.
  • Critical thinking and problem-solving 
    • Your brain should be the primary engine behind all of your work & analysis! These skills are vital and irreplaceable -- don't let artificial intelligence take them away from you.

If you're going to use AI, make sure to always:

Never ask AI to do a task you couldn’t understand/do yourself! You won’t be able to check its work.

Before You Use It...

...ask yourself these questions:

  • Is using a GenAI-based tool helping me learn more and think better?
  • Is using a GenAI-based tool enabling or hindering my mastery of the stated course objectives?
  • Is the content I generate accurate and verifiable? Is it free of biases that might harm other groups of society?
  • How will I treat content that might have been generated using a GenAI-based tool?
  • Is using a GenAI-based tool equitable to my peers in my course?
  • How can my actions in using a GenAI-based tool lead to the greater good of society?

Questions from University of Michigan's Generative Artificial Intelligence guide 

Artificial Intelligence Disclosure (AID) Framework

Developed by Kari D. Weaver, the Artificial Intelligence Disclosure (AID) Framework is a method of attribution intended to a provide brief, targeted disclosure about the use of AI systems used for research writing. Although citation is the current standard for giving credit and providing transparency about authorship, Weaver argues that citations "do not fully meet the needs of today's AI-enabled world." Instead, Weaver has developed the AID Framework to more thoroughly address the modern landscape of AI generated content and its use in multiple fields and industries. Learn more about the AID Framework here. 

Database AI Tools

While there are many different AI tools out there, they are not all equal in terms of reliability and quality. If you're going to incorporate using AI into your research process, consider using the AI features in library databases before turning to ChatGPT for answers or sources. Unlike ChatGPT and other open source AI platforms where you don't know where their information comes from or how accurate the info is, database AI tools utilize the vetted, high-quality, college-research-worthy resources within the database exclusively.

Here are a few examples of library database providers that currently have or are developing AI tools: