Artificial Intelligence (AI) Student Resource Guide

Don't take anything it tells you at face value. Some users have reported AI tools "hallucinating" or providing information that sounds true but is not. Look to see if other reliable sources contain the same information and can confirm what the AI tool says.

Basic tips:

• If your topic relates to current events, search news databases for relevant stories. Try Google News and US Newsstream, a library database of national and regional newspapers.
• Use known fact-checking sites.
• Try using lateral reading to fact check.
• If the information you are looking for is more complicated, try using the NWTC Libraries' resources in the section below.
• Ask a Librarian for assistance!

“A robot typing on a laptop while being closely watched by college students" prompt, Adobe Firefly, 30 Jan 2024, firefly.adobe.com. 

Librarians at McGill University created the ROBOT tool to use when reading about AI applications to help consider the legitimacy of the technology.

“A friendly robot that is holding a magnifying glass and looking at something to the right" prompt, Adobe Firefly, 30 Jan 2024, firefly.adobe.com. 

Reliability

• How reliable is the information available about the AI technology?
• If it’s not produced by the party responsible for the AI, what are the author’s credentials? Bias?
• If it is produced by the party responsible for the AI, how much information are they making available? 
  • Is information only partially available due to trade secrets?
  • How biased is they information that they produce?

Objective

• What is the goal or objective of the use of AI?
• What is the goal of sharing information about it?
  • To inform?
  • To convince?
  • To find financial support?

Bias

• What could create bias in the AI technology?
• Are there ethical issues associated with this?
• Are bias or ethical issues acknowledged?
  • By the source of information?
  • By the party responsible for the AI?
  • By its users?

Owner

• Who is the owner or developer of the AI technology?
• Who is responsible for it?
  • Is it a private company?
  • The government?
  • A think tank or research group?
• Who has access to it?
• Who can use it?

Type

• Which subtype of AI is it?
• Is the technology theoretical or applied?
• What kind of information system does it rely on?
• Does it rely on human intervention

Hervieux, S. & Wheatley, A. (2020). The ROBOT test [Evaluation tool]. The LibrAIry. https://thelibrairy.wordpress.com/2020/03/11/the-robot-test