Is AI accurate? Is it like a search engine?
We're all used to using Google and other search engines and to vetting the links and information they return. AIs, however, are a new technology which need to be understood and used in a different way.
Is AI accurate?
Despite AIs' ability to produce grammatically correct text and coherent images, these tools have some serious limitations:
- AIs frequently make-up facts and share them with confidence. These errors have been nicknamed "hallucinations" although "confabulations" might be a more accurate term.
- AIs are good at producing grammatically correct text and visually coherent images, but review by an expert may show that the content contains errors, some of them serious.
- AIs contain biases and other harmful content embedded in the data-sets on which they were trained. This means they may sometimes generate inappropriate or harmful content.
Is AI like a search engine?
Although AIs such as ChatGPT and Copilot will confidently return results that sound plausible, the way they work is quite different from search engines like Google.
A traditional search engine will analyze your inquiry and provide you with a list of specific links to visit to find pertinent information. Your ability to vet the information is based, in part, on the link you visit, and whether or not you know it to be a reliable source.
In contrast, a generative AI references its vast data set for patterns of words related to your inquiry, and comes up with a distillation or "average" of those millions of word patterns. This is why the text and images generated by AIs often has a generic tone. The output reflects this process of "boiling down" content into generic statements or images.
The Importance of Fact-Checking AI-Generated Content
It can be challenging to fact-check content generated by AI. The AI does not provide citations for the millions of pieces of data it references when generating a response. So you can't tell when its drawing from reliable sources. It's your responsibility to vet the generated content yourself. If you lack the expertise to do that you'll have to ask someone who does have that expertise for help.
A word of advice about using AI for teaching —
Because of generative AIs serious limitations, our advice is to use it primarily for things like:
- Brainstorming — it can be helpful for playing with text and images and generating ideas
- Low-stakes activities — where the accuracy of content is less important
- Role-playing — where the AI plays the role of a non-expert
- Verifiable content — always fact-check any AI-generated content you use
A word of caution about AI security —
AIs are new and experimental technology. Even AIs which claim to be secure may have security vulnerabilities which have not yet been discovered or addressed.
Before you use AI for teaching read: Tufts Guidelines for Use of Generative AI Tools
Tufts has vetted and licensed a select set of AIs for use in teaching.