In recent days, the importance of AI and the need for students to be equipped in this “new reality”, with AI becoming “a force to be reckoned with” had been acknowledged by the Education Minister Norma Foley. This trend, however, had apparently started earlier with AI tools such as ChatGPT being adopted by schools, as a tool for both teachers and students alike. Such a technology was particularly useful for educators, as it can be used to generate summaries for events, create a scaffold for essays and take notes with much greater ease.
While this seemed to be incredibly helpful due to the versatility of ChatGPT, the level of fact checking that is required is considerable. This is exemplified by an experimental report conducted by the Guardian which found that the AI technology was generating fake articles. This highlights the need to be extra vigilant while using these tools, so as to prevent spreading misinformation due to reliance on incorrect sources.
One user, however, had utilised the tool in a very unique way – by asking it to provide information on topics as esoteric as the work of one historian, Bede, and his writing on fears of the end of the world. It provided quite a serviceable answer, although it did not cite any sources, so it was up to the user to determine the accuracy of the information.
The person in this case study is an historian and a medieval historian, who had done a doctorate on the same topic of Bede and the end of the world. After dubiously attempting to break the software by asking about David O’Mahony’s scholarship on the topic, the AI surprisingly responded not only with an answer that was consistent with the PhD in question, but also included references to conferences and other research materials. Such an achievement highlighted the incredible potential of this type of technology.
Moreover, the AI did not let up when asked to cite its sources. Although it did note its limited access to sources, it still provided a list of resources commonly used by researchers to study Bede. This was further proof that AI was indeed progressing to the point of being able to provide useful information, despite its limitations.
AI and its subsidiaries continue to surprise us with their range of utility and potential for growth. They have proven to be extremely helpful for teachers and students, from assisting with the research process to helping with everyday tasks. Furthermore, people like the respondent in this article have discovered the immense opportunities offered by AI in researching niche topics. Although AI is at risk of spreading misinformation and caution must be exercised while using it, its potential is truly remarkable.
