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Artificial Intelligence: Introduction

A library guide to the ethical use, potential, and dos and don'ts of generative AI

About this Guide

This IADT Library Guide to Artificial Intelligence (AI) will help you:

  • Learn how to use generative AI (Gen AI) ethically and with academic integrity when information seeking.

  • Explore the challenges and opportunities of Gen AI when information seeking.

  • Develop your AI literacy so that you can navigate today's information environment effectively and with integrity.

What is AI

“The world is set to change at a pace not seen since the deployment of the printing press six centuries ago.” UNESCO (2024)

UNESCO states that AI is set to change the world at a pace “not seen since the deployment of the printing press” and that rapid technological advancements are even challenging ideas about what it means to be human.

 

 

But what exactly is generative AI?

We asked Chat GPT for a definition. This is the response:

“Generative AI refers to artificial intelligence systems designed to create new content, such as text, images, music, or code, by learning patterns from existing data. Examples include GPT-4 for text generation and DALL-E for image creation.”

 

This help guide is mostly concerned with generative AI, but non-generative AI (known as discriminative AI) has been with us for years - for example, the algorithms that suggest what to watch or listen to next on Netflix or Spotify. Another example is healthcare diagnostic tools that use image recognition and classification systems.

Ethics and AI

Gabriela Ramos

Gabriela Ramos, Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences of UNESCO states:

"In no other field is the ethical compass more relevant than in artificial intelligence. These general-purpose technologies are re-shaping the way we work, interact, and live... AI technology brings major benefits in many areas, but without the ethical guardrails, it risks reproducing real world biases and discrimination, fueling divisions and threatening fundamental human rights and freedoms." UNESCO (2024)

This help guide offers essential guidance for you on adopting an ethical approach when utilising artificial intelligence tools to find information to support your academic work. To find out more about AI, see the video below.

What is AI

Duke University (2021) What is AI, Quick Learner. Youtube. https://youtu.be/c0m6yaGlZh4?si=tbMpIp0HfuJ26AV8