In almost every classroom I have entered since I began college, my professors have made it clear that they won’t allow the use of AI generative technology to complete projects or assignments. Time and again, its use has been discouraged in the curriculum I am in - with ominous threats of punishment for any violation. It has been instilled in me as a student studying journalism and strategic communication, that using AI is a bad idea!
However, my fellow students and I have a different view. Personally, I am not against the use of AI. I have used it to get ideas and brainstorm when I am in a creative rut or to get feedback. I don’t copy anything or directly use AI to complete projects, but rather use it as a starting point. I don’t think this should be discouraged by professors either. We, as creators, need to evolve with technology. Completely ignoring AI stunts our ability to develop with the times. AI needs to be manipulated by us and not the other way around. They are here to assist and not conquer is how I look at it and fervently hope I am right!
I know other students who use it more directly. Other students who use it to write essays they have forgotten about or a discussion board post that they don’t want to spend time on. There is a big problem with this however.
In a discussion last year about the frontiers of AI, held at the IIT Delhi, Yann LeCun, Chief AI Scientist at Meta, NYU Professor, and a Turing Awardee, talked about the future he envisions for AI technology. During the lecture, he acknowledged that LLMs aren’t that smart. There are many reports online of crazy or stupid responses from ChatGPT. From not being able to perform basic math or citing sources that don’t exist, LLMs aren’t very good on their own.
This is why passing AI generated text off as your own isn’t a good idea. While it may seem like a quick and easy way to get a project done, it can often lead to people having a bad impression of your abilities. A friend of mine used ChatGPT to write a speech they had to give. They didn’t give it a second thought before reading it in front of the audience, and I remember that I could definitely tell it was AI generated.There was just something off about it.
One concern that comes up a lot is this: Does the use of AI threaten our role in these fields? Will LLMs be able to make marketing pitches or write breaking news articles?
Not yet. They are good for getting ideas, but I don’t think they will be replacing creative positions any time soon. My personal concern however, is that AI may be slowly getting rid of people’s ability to be creative themselves. I know a lot of fellow students who struggle to come up with ideas without ChatGPT, and they turn to it immediately.
So while I don’t think that AI will be replacing my job in the future, it may inhibit the ability for upcoming journalists to fill that role properly. That being said, I am looking forward to seeing how media outlets and creators continue to use AI in the future.
For more information on the future of AI, check out the latest Be Inspired episode “From Neural Mimics to Smart Assistants - A journey into AI’s next frontier.”
Kayla Grimshaw, Be Inspired
However, my fellow students and I have a different view. Personally, I am not against the use of AI. I have used it to get ideas and brainstorm when I am in a creative rut or to get feedback. I don’t copy anything or directly use AI to complete projects, but rather use it as a starting point. I don’t think this should be discouraged by professors either. We, as creators, need to evolve with technology. Completely ignoring AI stunts our ability to develop with the times. AI needs to be manipulated by us and not the other way around. They are here to assist and not conquer is how I look at it and fervently hope I am right!
I know other students who use it more directly. Other students who use it to write essays they have forgotten about or a discussion board post that they don’t want to spend time on. There is a big problem with this however.
In a discussion last year about the frontiers of AI, held at the IIT Delhi, Yann LeCun, Chief AI Scientist at Meta, NYU Professor, and a Turing Awardee, talked about the future he envisions for AI technology. During the lecture, he acknowledged that LLMs aren’t that smart. There are many reports online of crazy or stupid responses from ChatGPT. From not being able to perform basic math or citing sources that don’t exist, LLMs aren’t very good on their own.
This is why passing AI generated text off as your own isn’t a good idea. While it may seem like a quick and easy way to get a project done, it can often lead to people having a bad impression of your abilities. A friend of mine used ChatGPT to write a speech they had to give. They didn’t give it a second thought before reading it in front of the audience, and I remember that I could definitely tell it was AI generated.There was just something off about it.
One concern that comes up a lot is this: Does the use of AI threaten our role in these fields? Will LLMs be able to make marketing pitches or write breaking news articles?
Not yet. They are good for getting ideas, but I don’t think they will be replacing creative positions any time soon. My personal concern however, is that AI may be slowly getting rid of people’s ability to be creative themselves. I know a lot of fellow students who struggle to come up with ideas without ChatGPT, and they turn to it immediately.
So while I don’t think that AI will be replacing my job in the future, it may inhibit the ability for upcoming journalists to fill that role properly. That being said, I am looking forward to seeing how media outlets and creators continue to use AI in the future.
For more information on the future of AI, check out the latest Be Inspired episode “From Neural Mimics to Smart Assistants - A journey into AI’s next frontier.”
Kayla Grimshaw, Be Inspired
