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Don’t panic (yet) about ChatGPT and other AI text tools
The first time you played around with a generative text tool like ChatGPT or Google’s Bard, you probably had one of two reactions: either “Wow, this is amazing. The possibilities are endless!” or “The robots are coming for us. Run!”
For now, experts at Northwestern Libraries are taking a middle view, and they encourage you to do the same.
We want to think about these tools as an opportunity and not just a risk.”
- Brendan Quinn
Brendan Quinn, a Libraries software developer, serves on a cross-campus committee led by the provost’s office that is tracking the rapidly advancing technology and formulating policy recommendations for using it appropriately. He is well-aware of fears about ChatGPT writing term papers for students, but he cautions against vilifying the technology.
“We want to think about these tools as an opportunity and not just a risk,” he said. “It seems like a mistake to just focus on the dangers of this technology, like plagiarism. We are talking about that but also about how it’s going to transform teaching and learning on campus.”
User experience librarian Frank Sweis coaches his colleagues on how and when generative AI can be useful. It can summarize notes from a set of meetings, for example, or brainstorm new avenues of inquiry around a research topic.
Sweis recommends asking an AI tool for search terms and keywords that might produce relevant leads. He said that in his experiments with this approach, “the result was words I could use as part of my query, as well as databases that actually do exist. That’s helpful for expanding the scope of a search.”
Whether or not the technology makes users feel uncomfortable, Quinn recommends an eyes-wide-open approach to its ongoing use in the academic landscape. “One thing I am sure of: Generative AI is not going away, and everyone will interact with it in their education or their career from now on in some way or another,” he said. “So I would suggest that students investigate where it can help them learn, write, and study while also making themselves aware of its current limitations.”