This guide was created by the Winter 2025 ELITE Consultants at Vogel Library.
Last updated on 02/11/2025.
Pros
Many available tools with a wide array of functions available
Combination of tools can be quite powerful if done properly
Great opportunities for convenience
Often quick operation and increased efficiency
Using AI for studying and education purposes, such as tutoring, personalized learning, language learning, etc.
Cons
AI is still in its infancy with lots of growing pains present.
Tools are limited in their capabilities - a generative language model cannot produce images, virtual assistants have their limits etc.
Any one tool is not perfect, many require a user to be extremely specific to produce accurate results
Certain companies censor information which is detrimental to an AI's knowledge base and learning potential
Biases are present from development companies. Searching for information on polarized topics may yield one-sided results.
Specifically with mathematical equations - AI does not have a 100% success rate. Suggestions made by the user will affect the results of a given equation, correct or not.
AI summaries at the top of search engine results pull from all sorts of sources and are not a reliable source of information
AI can be used to create fake images and videos of important events and figures, leading to a rise in disinformation. As AI becomes more advanced and it becomes harder to recognize, it becomes increasingly important to be able to tell the difference between the real and the fake.
