Generative AI, to be more specific ChatGPT has become a key tool in my learning journey. I do not like to use ChatGPT as a way to do the work for me but rather as an instrument to make learning more fun and productive.
Some of the advantages I have found is the ability of this tool to turn complex concepts into more digestible and easy to understand explanations. Even recently when learning about UML diagrams I was a bit confused what exactly an object or class was and how they differed. instead of googling and spending time on finding a trustworthy source I could easily find the answer through ChatGPT. Of course there are pitfall to this, if you ask nuanced questions or vague ones the tool can give you a different answer than you actually need without knowing it. So it is important to ensure the questions you ask are clear and something you deem feasible to be asked to such a tool. As generative AI evolves even further, a time will come where it can smoothly ask questions back and ensure it understands the question completely which can reduce the risk of misinformation further.
Furthermore, when I am learning about a new software such as Notion or R, ChatGPT is the first platform I go to for simple functional questions such as “How do I create a progress bar”, or “How do you insert widgets”. This has always turned out correct and an easy way to find a solution.
Even existing platforms such as the famous Duolingo could gain a lot of value and productivity gains when making use of Generative AI improving the language learning experience for its users. Think of things like basic practice conversations which can be continued with the partial information that a learning student can provide. This is just one example, generative AI is not only limited to text-based information. With generated pictures and videos on the rise learning can be improved even further.
Great article, I always stay away from AI with my assignments but this is a great way to use it for uni with minimal risks. I think it can also aid your study process to remain skeptical with the output and not believe everything immediately, but using the knowledge that you gathered to weigh the information. I recently heard about another AI tool that you would maybe like. It is called letsrecast.ai and what it does is it makes podcasts out of text. It does not literally put the text to audio, but shortens it and turns it into a conversational podcast. You can do this with any text, like articles you need to read or your own study notes. I was amazed by this technology and I think this would also be great for helping you study!
Thank you for your comment, I agree with you it is important to stay skeptical. Furthermore I will checkout letsrecast.ai Im always open to find and use more tools that can increase productivity.
Hey Jefffrey, nicely written reflection on your experience! It’s so interesting how people’s first reaction (including mine) is to ask advice from a chatbot, and not (for example) from a forum like in the past. I remember having to type in my question into a forum for a certain software, and hoping someone in the past would have had the exact same problem! But now you can just get a (seemingly) perfect response, personalized to your exact question, instead of having to find a ‘similar’ problem, like in the past. I wonder if this, in the long term, is going to have an effect on the popularity of these forums. Again, great job with your post!