faculty article 2024

     Harnessing the creative power of generative AI by student community

Dr. Manit Mishra

Professor and Dean (Research and Strategic Initiatives)

IMI Bhubaneswar

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) has acquired a cult status in recent times. It has become the most important topic for discussion from industry board rooms to academic conferences, more so since the launch of OpenAI’s generative AI model called as ChatGPT. The concept of AI systems that can generate content autonomously has evolved over several decades. However, rapid progress in generative AI was made since the development of deep learning techniques such as artificial neural networks and machine learning algorithms. One significant milestone was the introduction of recurrent neural networks (RNNs) and long short-term memory (LSTM) networks, which allowed AI models to process and generate sequential data, including text. These neural network architectures paved the way for more sophisticated generative models. A more recent leap in generative AI came with the development of large-scale deep learning models like OpenAI's GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) series. GPT models are pretrained on vast amounts of text data from the internet, allowing them to generate human-like text. GPT-3 gained widespread attention for its extraordinary language generation capabilities. These generative AI models have been instrumental in various applications, from natural language processing and content creation to image and music generation.

The generative AI technology, such as ChatGPT, offers students unique opportunities to explore, learn, and create in innovative ways. However, the responsible and ethical usage of these AI tools is paramount. While harnessing their creative potential, students should also take into consideration the ethical aspects and be aware of potential biases that may be ingrained in responses. Students leveraging generative AI should be aware of several ethical considerations. First, the potential biases present in AI models should be acknowledged. These models learn from vast pre-existing datasets, which may contain societal biases. It's essential for students to critically assess, thoroughly validate and, if necessary, revise AI-generated content to ensure fairness and inclusivity. Second, privacy and data security should be a top priority. Students must exercise caution when sharing personal information, ensuring that their use of AI tools complies with privacy standards and regulations. Third, AI should be viewed as an aid rather than a replacement for independent thinking and creativity. Students should complement AI-assisted work with their insights, knowledge, and originality, fostering responsible and creative usage. Finally, students should be vigilant about attributing AI-generated content appropriately. These ethical considerations are vital for responsible AI utilization by the student community. Just like advent of any other transformational technology in the past (e.g., automobile, computer, mobile phone, internet, search engine), generative AI also need to be welcomed constructively as well as cautiously. Rather than discouraging its usage by students, we need to educate the student community to use generative AI as a collaborator, and NOT as a substitute, in their quest for knowledge and creativity. The onus for this lies with us – the faculty fraternity. And as a small step in this direction, the author of this article acknowledges usage of ChatGPT for shaping the thoughts on this very debatable topic.