Artificial Intelligence (AI) is everywhere, and it’s changing the game for our generation. Whether it’s helping us with homework, coursework, personal life, creating content, or even generating images from just a description, AI has the potential to make our lives easier and more creative.
But it’s not all good news—AI also comes with its own set of challenges, like the risk of misinformation or even replacing humans in jobs.
In this article, we’ll dive into how we can use AI to our advantage while staying aware of the downsides, so we can make the most of this powerful technology.
What’s AI all about?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is like teaching computers to think and learn like humans. Instead of just following simple instructions, AI can analyse data, recognise patterns, and make decisions. For example, it can help with your everyday activities, from simply picking a movie to watch or creating a post for your social media. AI is created by programming computers with special algorithms and feeding them lots of data so they can improve over time, becoming more accurate and ‘smarter’.
ChatGPT /Chat Based AI
ChatGPT is a type of AI tool that can have conversations with people. It’s designed to understand and respond to text, making it feel like you’re really chatting with someone. When you ask it questions or give it instructions, it analyses it and then creates a response that makes sense. There are also other types of chat-based AI, such as ‘My AI’ on Snapchat and Google Gemini.
ChatGPT can make life easier by helping with revision, summarising long info, and explaining words you don’t understand. It’s great for adjusting word count, writing emails, and even solving everyday problems. Whether it’s schoolwork or life skills, ChatGPT can have your back.
Watch out! If you don’t ask clear questions or give good instructions, ChatGPT might provide confusing or irrelevant info.
ChatGPT also usually uses American English in its responses. Using Americanised language in the UK can be confusing and make you sound out of place. You can use apps like Grammarly or change your settings to British English on most writing apps.
ChatGPT (and similar text-based AI tools) can be controversial in schools and workplaces. While it saves time on tasks like essays, presentations, and speeches, some find it unfair since it can perform work that usually takes hours or days. Overusing ChatGPT can seem like copying and pasting instead of thinking for yourself.
It’s easy to depend on ChatGPT, but it’s important to use it wisely and not let it replace your creativity and effort.
Image Based AI
Like ChatGPT, image AI platforms like Stability AI can create realistic images from simple descriptions. They’re great for making pictures for school, work projects, social media, or just for fun, turning ideas into custom artwork.
As AI images become more realistic, it’s hard to tell them apart from real photos, raising concerns about misinformation. Be aware of AI-generated images as they can often be seen with multiple errors, some small, others extremely noticeable.
Find out more about image-based AI.
How accurate is AI?
Is AI accurate? Is it something we can rely on long term? While AI platforms are very useful in the current era, it is not 100% accurate all the time. Even on sites like ChatGPT a message reading ‘ChatGPT can make mistakes’ is displayed at all times towards the bottom of the page.
AI platforms like ChatGPT can whip up stories and create images in seconds, which can seem unfair to people who’ve spent weeks, months, and even years crafting their own work. It’s important to remember that while AI can help quickly, it doesn’t replace the time and creativity that goes into original work.
AI in practice
It seems fitting in a blog about AI to ask ChatGPT to write a conclusion for me.
It says ‘AI is changing the game, making things like homework and creative projects easier and more exciting. Tools like ChatGPT can help with writing and problem-solving, but watch out for its American English and don’t rely on it too much. Image generators can create cool visuals but be careful of fake or misleading content online. AI is awesome, but remember to use it smartly and question what you see’.