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AI: Student Guide to ChatGPT and Other AI Resources

Using ChatGPT and other AI resources effectively

Generative AI can be a valuable tool, particularly for research, study, and writing, but it's crucial to use it ethically and effectively. While it can generate text, summarize information, and help with brainstorming, it should not be used to replace critical thinking and academic integrity. By understanding its strengths and limitations, and using it as a support tool rather than a replacement for your own work, students can leverage its capabilities for academic success.

Learn what it's useful for and how to prompt effectively.

Remember to always verify the information it gives you.

See all of our FAQs about generative AI.


For more information on AI literacy, pedagogy, ideas for using AI in the classroom, and other generative AI tools, see our Campus Guide to Artificial Intelligence in Higher Ed.

Different courses will have different policies

Check with your instructor for each course to find out the policy on using ChatGPT and similar tools.

What is ChatGPT good for and not good for?

Remember, you'll always need to verify the information, because ChatGPT will sometimes make things up (known as "hallucinations").

What is it good for?

  • Brainstorming ideas
  • Narrowing your topic ideas for a research paper, and keywords for searching in library databases
  • Explaining information in ways that are easy to understand
  • Summarizing and outlining
  • Asking questions (be sure to fact check the results): You can ask a million questions without fear of being judged
  • Translating text to different languages (not completely fluent in every language)
  • Helping write or debug computing code

What is it not so good for?