Students

Use AI Responsibly

Using AI responsibly in research, writing and other academic areas requires a commitment to transparency, accuracy and adherence to academic standards and policies.

Here are some guidelines to consider:

Check course policies – Instructors may have specific rules on AI use, always review the course syllabus before incorporating AI into assignments.
Understand AI’s role – AI can assist with research and writing, but it doesn’t replace critical thinking, analysis or personal engagement.
Protect your academic work (and the work of others) – Be cautious when inputting assignments, content or personal information into AI tools.
Verify and Cite Sources – AI can help locate sources, but always verify them for accuracy and credibility. If AI-generated content is used, it must be cited properly.
Bias Awareness – Don’t trust AI without question—remember, AI isn’t perfect and can make mistakes. Always use it with a critical mindset and verify its information with reliable sources.

Things to Watch Out For

Data bias – May favor outcomes based on training data.
Confirmation bias – Reinforces trends and overlooks rare data.
Pattern bias – Repeats outdated or irrelevant patterns.
Language bias – May misread unusual wording or context.

AI-Assisted Research

Getting Started with Google's NotebookLM

NotebookLM is an AI-powered research assistant developed by Google that can be particularly useful for faculty and students. Watch this video (39:06) to learn how it can be used for:

Document summarization: Upload documents such as PDFs, Google Docs and web URLs to summarize content and generate insights.
Answer questions: Ask questions about uploaded sources and receive responses with inline citations.
Content creation: Generate summaries, timelines, FAQs, study guides and podcast-style audio overviews based on your source materials.
Collaboration: Support collaborative note-taking and idea organization for group projects and research teams.

AI as a Study Partner

Create study guides and materials using NotebookLM (2:31):

Generate practice questions: Use your sources to organize notes, generate flashcards and create detailed study guides.
Create interactive study sessions: Have AI quiz you conversationally, like a tutor, by asking follow-up questions and encouraging you to explain concepts in your own words.
Generate mnemonics and memory aids: Create acronyms, rhymes or memory techniques to help you retain information.
Time management and study plans: Organize your study schedule, break down topics into manageable chunks and suggest efficient study techniques based on your learning style.
AI as Writing Support

AI as Writing Support

In this short series (video 1 of 3), explore the basics of prompting with Microsoft Copilot to tailor requests to your specific needs (2:05). AI can be used to support your writing in the following ways:

Brainstorm ideas: Stuck on how to start an assignment? Use AI to generate a list of possible topics or angles. You still do the writing, but this can help spark ideas when you’re not sure where to begin.
Clarify writing prompts: Use AI to rephrase or explain a writing prompt to help you better understand the task before you start writing.
Check for tone and formality: Use AI to assess your tone in professional emails or essays, and use that feedback to adjust your tone while keeping your original ideas.
Fix grammar and typos: Use AI to catch spelling errors, missing punctuation or grammar issues you might have missed. This helps clean up the mechanics of your writing while you stay in control of the content.