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AI Research & Literature Searching

A brief overview of some AI tools available to Mac students, staff, and faculty, as well as some information on when to use them and when not to use them.

Using this Guide

This guide contains resources for understanding and evaluating how artificial intelligence (AI) is incorporated into research and learning tools.

This guide covers evaluation methods, citation guidance, and a few relevant tools.

  • Identifying Tools: information about some of the AI tools available at Macalester.
  • Evaluating Tools: how to tell if a tool will be useful and a few things to consider when encountering or incorporating AI into your research.
  • Opting Out: a few strategies for turning off AI features and reasons you may want to do so.
  • Citing AI: general guidelines for attributing AI in research.
  • Glossary: a list of terms and their definitions. 

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See also: AI Literacy and Critical Thinking

AI at Macalester College

Generative AI is a topic that affects all areas of campus and impacts how we teach, learn, fundraise, and manage our daily responsibilities. Macalester is dedicated to educating our community about the opportunities and pitfalls that come along with such impactful technological advancements.

— Macalester Information Technology Services (ITS)

A few things to consider when using AI as a Macalester student:

  • ALWAYS fact check. AI-generated content can be inaccurate or misleading. Any AI-generated content should be thoroughly reviewed, cross-referenced, and fact-checked. 
  • Talk with your instructor. Different instructors have different standards for AI use. Some might encourage it, some might want you to cite it, and some might want you to avoid using it altogether. If you’re not sure what to do, check your syllabus or talk with your instructor.
  • Protect your data. You should not enter any non-public data, specifically anything that includes non-public research data, into publicly available generative AI tools. Information shared with generative AI tools using default settings is not private and could expose proprietary or sensitive information to unauthorized parties.

 

See also: AI at Macalester College