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Finding Inspiration in Every Turn

MTL5910:

Responsible AI in Education Resource Guide

This resource explores the basics of AI, how to use AI responsibly, practical applications in education, effective prompting, ethical uses of AI, understanding bias and other risks, and preparing for the future of AI in education.

 

Feel free to use the provided information, illustrations, and infographics in your own work. If you do, please make sure to attribute and cite this work properly. To begin, click the AI 101 section and go from there!

Artificial Intelligence 101: Understanding the Basics

IBM said it best with their definition of AI: "Artificial intelligence (AI) is technology that enables computers and machines to simulate human learning, comprehension, problem solving, decision making, creativity and autonomy." To put it simply, AI is a tool that humans can use to simplify computer-aided tasks. 

AI systems use a combination of different systems. Using software, data, and algorithms, AI systems perform tasks that normally require human intelligence. Humans serve as the input, and the systems serve as the output. It's important to understand that AI systems can be represented in various ways. Some of these systems include but aren't limited to: Machine Learning, Deep Learning, and Generative AI. In almost all cases and uses, a human must be involved in the process to help guide the input, alter inputs if needed, and evaluate the results.

The following chart gives a simple timeline of the creation and evolution of AI systems:

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Another component of an AI system is that these systems generate conversations by using large language models (or LLMs) to learn how to understand and respond to humans. By using these LLMs, AI systems are exposed to and use a vast range of information developed by humans. These systems are very good at identifying patterns in their responses. When given a prompt or task, these patterns can help predict the system's responses.

 

An AI-assisted conversation works in this way:

​Data → Pattern Recognition → AI Model → Response

 

It's important to keep in mind that AI systems do not think like humans. They solely rely on the data available and provided by users to identify patterns. These patterns are used to create responses based on a user's prompt or task. A human must always be involved to guide the prompt and/or task. 

Image provided by IBM

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As mentioned before, some of the AI systems available now include deep learning, machine learning, and generative AI platforms. The infographic shows a bit of how generative pre-trained transformer platforms (GPT) operate. 

GPT platforms generate responses based on user input or task requests. They can use this input to create new content such as text, images, audio, video, and even code. While generated content can be fairly simple to create and use, users should never rely solely on generated content. Especially in an educational application, users should always "trust, but verify" their results. More on the various AI applications related to the educational process can be found in the "Practical Applications" tab/infographic.

 

The rapid evolution of many GPT-based platforms by companies such as Apple, Google, and many others. Some of these platforms have been developed into AI assistants that can help with even the most basic tasks. Assistants can help schedule tasks, summarize information, translate different languages, analyze content, support learning, and even help users with their writing. 

While this technology can simplify the work we do, humans must always guide the process. Think of AI as a collaborative tool instead of one that can be used to replace human-created content and work.

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