AI Applications
While some AI-based tools might come to mind right away, there are a lot of different tools out there with a lot of different uses. As you evaluate how to use these tools responsibly in your academic work, it is useful to keep the breadth of potential uses in mind. You or your instructor might want to use one kind of tool for a certain situation but not others.
Some benefits of using AI tools as a student include:
- Brainstorming and idea generation, such as suggesting ideas for research paper topics in a given area.
- Suggesting useful keywords to use when searching the libraries' databases to find information on a topic.
- Supplemental explanation of difficult or confusing concepts. This can include asking it to explain the concept in simpler terms or to provide additional illustrative examples.
- Providing assistance with vocabulary, punctuation, and sentence structure.
The sections below explore some potential applications of AI. Please note that this list is not comprehensive or an endorsement of any particular tool used in the examples.
Text and Code
Some tools will give you writing or paraphrasing suggestions (e.g., Grammarly, QuillBot), and other tools will generate new text or code based on a prompt from you (e.g., Copilot, Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini).
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Here is an example of generating new text from a prompt using Claude. User Prompt: Can you help me write a poem about a daffodil? Claude Response: I'd be happy to help you write a poem about a daffodil. Would you like me to start with a draft, or do you have any specific ideas or preferences for the poem's style, length, or tone? Once we have a starting point, we can work together to refine it. User Prompt: I would like it to be a short rhyming poem Claude Response: Certainly. I'll draft a short rhyming poem about a daffodil for you. Here's a simple four-line verse: Golden trumpet in the spring, How does this sound to you? We can modify or expand it if you'd like any changes or additions. |
Images
Some tools will generate unique images for you based on a text prompt (e.g., DALL-E, Adobe Firefly, Midjourney).
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| Prompt: Create an image of the Old Main Building at Wayne State University in Detroit as it was in the film Bladerunner. | Prompt: Create an image of the Old Main Building at Wayne State University in Detroit as it would look in the future. | Prompt: Create an image of the Old Main building at Wayne State University in Detroit in the style of Hogwarts. | Prompt: Create an image of the Old Main building at Wayne state University as if it was in the Wizard of Oz. |
Video and Audio
Some tools will use written text to generate spoken language or to create talking video avatars (e.g., Synthesia, PlayHT).
Here is an example of Avatar select to read composed speech using Synthesia.
Research
Some tools will help you find research articles and papers, summarize content, or extract and organize details (e.g., Copilot, Elicit)
Here is an example of a summary of four papers using Elicit.
