Important Notice: This section of the AI Guide is intended for students. Faculty should see Generative AI for MSVU Faculty.
Always consult your professor before using any form of AI (ChatGPT, Grammarly, Gemini, etc.) for your coursework, and be sure to ask what exactly is permitted for a specific assignment. If you have permission to use AI in your work, you need to cite the tool you have used.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to machines, especially computer systems, that mimic aspects of human intelligence like learning, problem solving, and decision making.
The landscape of AI is rapidly evolving, with significant impacts on research and education.
The video below provides a brief introduction to how AI technology works.
Generative AI
There are different types of AI, but in the last few years, generative AI has become increasingly prevalent. Generative AI, such as ChatGPT, is trained to detect patterns in data and works as an algorithm to create content based on the patterns it finds. For example, these patterns help generative AI predict the proper order of words in a sentence. Generative AI requires a prompt: when a user provides a prompt, generative AI produces text, images, audio, video, etc., in response to the prompt.
It is important to note that generative AI does not actually understand the context or the meaning of what it creates, and it also does not know whether an answer it provides is right or wrong. Remember that generative AI is limited by the amount, quality, and context of the specific dataset that it "learns" from, which means that it may produce biased or inaccurate content.
As generative AI technology evolves, it's important to become AI literate, which means having the skills and knowledge to critically understand and evaluate AI. Part of this learning involves debunking common myths about AI: the infographic below presents some common AI myths that are key for students to know.
Additional Resources
What students need to know about generative AI slides by Dr. Emily Ballantyne, MSVU Teaching & Learning Centre
Check your knowledge on AI at MSVU interactive quiz
AI and student writing by the Mount Writing Centre