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AI Tools for Assignments and Research

A guide on Generative Artificial Intelligence when researching and writing your assignments

What is generative artificial intelligence?

Generative AI are tools that, when prompted by the user, can create texts, images, sound, video and code from existing information. Generative AI can be useful in many ways in research and study, however, it is crucial to critically evaluate the information they provide and to use AI tools responsibly and ethically.

Types of generative AI

Type Purpose Potential student uses Considerations Examples
Text gen-AI

Composes content from a conversational language model.
  • Brainstorm and idea generation
  • Text translation
  • Create practice quizzes and questions
  • Summarise difficult texts
  • Plagiarism risk
  • Has been known to make up content
  • Correct citation and referencing needed
  • Academic integrity is essential - all use must be "permitted and admitted"

ChatGPT

Perplexity AI

Copilot

Claude
Image gen-AI

Creates images based on learned patterns and styles from text descriptions and prompts.
  • Source of inspiration and ideas
  • Create images for presentations
  • Assist in design elements and choices
  • Explore and understand visual concepts
  • Storyboards
  • Is the content biased or unethical?
  • Copyright and attribution. Who owns the copyright of the image?

Dall.E.2

Stable Diffusion

Midjourney

Adobe

Canva

Bing image creator
Code gen-AI Generate or assist in the creation of computer code.
  • Help with syntax
  • Assistance with complex coding
  • Learn different coding patterns and structures
  • Debug
  • Stay mindful of AI limitations
  • Review and test the code before using it
  • Does it meet standards and security requirements?

ChatGPT

CodeT5

Tabnine
Sound gen-AI
Generates sounds, music and other auditory content.

 
  • Create background music for presentations, podcasts, videos and games
  • Inspiration and creativity
  • Explore sound design principles
  • Expression
  • Copyright issues of content
  • Appropriateness of content
AIVA
Soundful
Murf.ai
Video gen-AI

Uses images and text to generate video content.
  • Add special effects to video
  • Create graphics for presentations
  • Edit
  • Creat prototypes
  • Quality and authenticity
  • Understand the limitations
  • Ethical use

Invideo

Gen-1 Runway
Research discovery and explanation gen-AI

Generates content to assist the research process.

 
  • Summarise large number of research papers
  • Analyse data sets
  • Use as a starting point
  • Validate and verify the generated results through traditional research methods
  • Information could be inaccurate
  • The training data may have biases and ethical issues

Elicit

Raxter

Research Rabbit

Scite

 

Subjects: Academic Success

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