Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been around for quite some time. The official definition from the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is "The capacity of computers or other machines to exhibit or simulate intelligent behaviour; the field of study concerned with this. In later use also: software used to perform tasks or produce output previously thought to require human intelligence, esp. by using machine learning to extrapolate from large collections of data. Also as a count noun: an instance of this type of software; a (notional) entity exhibiting such intelligence."
Most conversation today focuses on generative artificial intelligence (generative AI), defined by OED as: Artificial intelligence designed to produce output, esp. text or images, previously thought to require human intelligence, typically by using machine learning to extrapolate from large collections of data; (also) a system, piece of software, etc., used to create content in this way".
This guide is going to focus on generative AI, specifically the Large Language Models (LLMs) that can be used. Each LLM will have different strenghts, and it will be up to the user to determine which is best for their purposes. This guide will also provide current resources on the constantly evolving dissussion of AI in the academic world.
Machine Learning: "Rather than being programmed with rules to produce answers, computers receive data and the answers expected from the data and, as a result, produce rules by identifying patterns between the two” (UNESCO)"
For help understanding how AI impacts access to information or research processes:
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