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What are AI chatbots

Artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot or generative AI is a technology that is developing quickly. Like the internet in general, AI tools are neither good or bad when it comes to finding and using information. Instead, they represent a new way in which we can interact with information. Essentially, they are text generators that create results based on prompts and are designed to be conversational but can also be used for standalone prompts.

Some examples of AI Chatbots

• ChatGPT (OpenAI)
• Gemini AI (Google - previously Bard AI)
• Bing Chat (Microsoft)

Note: Like other sources in academic research, you need to follow the guidelines provided by your instructor and use only the sources permitted for each assignment.

Issues with using chatbots

Current weaknesses:

Accuracy, it is not design to produce factually accurate information

Currency, information found is not necessarily the most recent information available 

Bias, it will replicate the biases in its training material and sources it chooses

Information behind paywalls, it may not have had access to certain information that isn't freely available such as academic and peer-reviewed journals

Using for assignments

• brainstorming, as a tool for generating ideas
• generating search terms
• developing main points or arguments
• maintain academic integrity

For more information on academic integrity at CCC check out the CCC Policy on Plagiarism (current Student Handbook).

The CCC Policy on Plagiarism in under the Academic Honesty Guidelines in the Student Handbook. A small sample of some of the violations include...

As source for academic research

One of the biggest issues is knowing where the chatbots are actually sourcing the information from and having no easy way of checking it for accuracy. Chatbots are designed to basically guess what the next word or phrase should be or scrap data together. Chatbots also do this with citations. They do not necessarily cite a specific source but gather data to scrap together a citation based on authors that published similar articles on a topic and some common titles of articles. This is not the type of information that should be used for academic research.  

Accuracy of information

It is always important to verify information from chatbots. An example would be The Snow White Problem. Using generative AI's to find something such as the first animated movie, you can easily get three different answers depending on the phasing of the prompt.

Citations

If you find something useful when using chatbots, find the original source. Use the original source to verify the accuracy of the information provided by the chatbot and cite the original source.

MLA citation information for generative AI

APA citation information for chatbots