Artificial intelligence has been on the rise for years, but we’ve reached a point where it’s impossible to ignore. As we continue to find new uses for AI and it weaves deeper into our daily lives, we’re forced to decide whether to embrace or reject it.
Across campus, opinions are split. Every syllabus now seems to have an AI policy, yet these policies vary widely from class to class.
Ask your creative writing professor what they think of AI, then ask your computer science professor. Chances are, their answers won’t match.
It can be challenging to remember what rules apply where, leaving us to wonder: How do we, with our natural intelligence, separate the ethical uses of AI from the corrupt?
AI has become such a buzzword that it’s important to recognize the distinction between general and generative AI. Generative AI is the everyday perception of artificial intelligence. Think ChatGPT, Midjourney or anything that creates media based on a prompt.
But the term “AI” is much more encompassing. Plenty of AI tools exist simply to make jobs easier, and many function no differently than an advanced algorithm.
For example, using AI to export data from an Excel spreadsheet into a chart saves time without compromising creativity, and that’s how these programs should be used. Microsoft Copilot has integrated several time-saving features into their program suite.
Generative AI is different. It actively steals ideas and techniques from creatives. It generates easy, quick answers that can only imitate emotions that drive the art it pulls from. It will never produce the same work that the human mind can. It will never be rooted in originality. However, the difference is becoming harder to distinguish for the everyday person.
Some people just don’t care. No matter how many times you hear “slow and steady wins the race,” the faster, easier path will always look more appealing. For that reason, generative AI use continues to increase, with roughly 45 percent of the U.S. population found to be using it as of late February.
While Bradley seems to be encouraging the use of AI in some ways, even hosting events like the AI Innovation at Bradley Zoom meeting this upcoming Thursday, regulating personal data is important.
We attend classes every day to enhance what we know. Maybe AI can help with that process, but don’t let all of your intelligence become artificial.