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AI in the Academic Setting

Resources and information about generative AI including ChatGPT

Other Generative AI Applications

Artificial intelligence (AI) is used in a wide variety of settings and in the background of many things we use every day.  This report from the Pew Research Center, highlights results from a survey done about Americans' awareness of AI in their every day life.

Explore the tabs in the next box for applications of interest to academia and education or take a look at this living document from Ithaka Generative AI Product Tracker that lists generative AI products that are either marketed specifically towards postsecondary faculty or students or appear to be actively in use by postsecondary faculty or students for teaching, learning, or research activities.

Or, check out Find My AI Tool or There's an AI for That

A Sampling of Generative AI Applications

  • ChatGPT
    • Text generator
    • Conversational interactions
    • Free (ChatGPT) and paid versions (ChatGPT Plus and GPT-4o)
  • Claude
    • Text generator, Content summarizer
    • Conversational interactions
    • Free (paid version is Claude Pro or Claude 3 Opus)
  • Grammarly
    • Text generator, Paraphraser, Plagiarism checker
    • Browser extension for all major browsers
    • Free version: Generate text with 100 AI prompts
    • Paid version: Generate text with 1000 AI prompts, Adjust writing tone, Rewrite full sentences
  • NotebookLM
    • Note taking tool that uses Google Gemini
    • Can generate summaries, explanations, and answers based on content uploaded by users
    • Can also provide audio overviews of uploaded content
  • Quillbot
    • Paraphraser, Grammar checker, Plagiarism checker
    • Can be integrated into any writing tool/application (Gmail, Word, Facebook, etc.)
    • Free version: Standard rewriting of text and improvement of fluency
    • Paid version: Additional options for type of rewrite desired and custom rewrite options
  • Rytr
    • Text generator
    • Mirrors your "tone" after analyzing a sample of your writing
    • Custom tones for different scenarios
    • Chrome extension
    • Free version: Generate 10,000 characters per month, 40+ use cases
    • Paid version: Unlimited characters per month, plagiarism checker, customizable tone of voice
  • BlueWillow
    • Converts text prompt into AI generated image
    • Free: Limited number of credits and must create an account
    • Upgraded plan available
  • DALL•E 3
    • Converts text prompt to AI generated image
    • Built on ChatGPT so ChatGPT is used for brainstorming and refining prompts
    • According to OpenAI, DALL-E 3 is trained to decline requests for images in the style of a living artist
    • Paid subscription
  • DeepBrain
    • Generate videos from text
    • Select from over 80 languages and incorporate a variety of AI avatars for narration
    • Paid subscription (free demo)
  • Firefly 
    • Text to image generator incorporated into Adobe Suite/Photoshop
    • Subscription required
  • Sora AI
    • Text to video (up to one minute long)
    • From OpenAI (creator of ChatGPT)
    • Subscription required
  • Stable Diffusion 
    • Text to image generator
    • Free
  • ElevenLabs
    • Text to speech AI voice generator
    • Generates spoken audio in any voice, style, and language (currently 29 languages available)
    • Free version: approximately 10 minutes of audio per month
    • Paid versions: multiple upgrades available based on the amount of audio content created
  • Soundraw 
    • Music generator
    • Select mood, genre, theme and then create custom compositions to match your content with no music composition knowledge required
    • Paid subscription only
  • Stable Audio
    • Text to audio or audio to audio music generator
    • Free version: generate 20 tracks per month, each up to 3 minutes in duration
    • Paid version: multiple upgrades available based on the number of tracks per month
  • AlphaFold 
    • Prediction of 3D models of protein structure from amino acid sequence
    • Open access to over 200 million protein structure predictions
  • GitHub Copilot
    • Converse with Copilot about your codebase
    • Suggests code completions as you type and turns natural language prompts into coding suggestions
    • Paid subscription required
  • Hidden Door 
    • Generative AI created games that allow interactive experiences in the worlds of books, movies, and TV shows.
    • For your own play or for sharing with friends
    • Free
  • Jupyter AI
    • Turns the Jupyter notebook into a reproducible generative AI playground
    • Native chat UI in JupyterLab that enables you to work with generative AI as a conversational assistant
    • Free to install
  • Kombai
    • Code email and web designs
    • Input design files and receive HTML, CSS, or React code
    • Paid subscription required
  • Phind
    • Search engine optimized for developers and technical questions
    • Free and paid versions
  • AgentGPT
    • Autonomous AI Agent platform that empowers users to create and deploy customizable autonomous AI agents directly in the browser
    • Free
  • Character AI
    • Mimics having a conversation with your favorite historical or fictional characters
    • Free
  • Goblin Tools 
    • Collection of small, simple, single-task tools, originally designed to help neurodivergent people with tasks they find overwhelming or difficult
    • Free
  • Meta AI
  • OtterPilot 
    • Work/business meeting assistant
    • Records, transcribes, captures slides, and generates summaries in real time
    • Free version available
  • Perplexity 
    • Conversational search engine powered by Azure OpenAI
    • Free version available
  • Pi 
    • Designed to be a kind and supportive companion offering conversations, friendly advice, and concise information in a natural, flowing style
    • Free
  • Poe

Evaluating Generative AI tools

Here are some things to consider when deciding whether to use a generative AI based tool or app:

Evaluating Generative AI Apps*

"created by Nicole Hennig at University of Arizona Libraries, CC 4.0 license

Prompt engineering

The old adage "garbage in, garbage out" still applies to artificial intelligence.  The output of an AI text generator such as ChatGPT is more relevant and useful if the textual input (prompt) is detailed and geared to address the limitations of the machine-generated output.  There are dedicated prompt engineers as well as websites with lists of prompts and applications that can help you create a prompt.