By embracing and learning to use AI tools, students, faculty, and staff can leverage them to generate innovative ideas, identify more efficient ways to accomplish tasks, and enhance their overall contributions across their field of study or work.
No matter where you fall on the artificial intelligence (AI) hype train, you’re most likely wondering what the future looks like now that AI is becoming mainstream. The good news is that you’re not alone. From first-time GPT users, to Silicon Valley executives, to Pitt’s seasoned researchers, everyone is asking the exact same question: What will change now that AI exists? Unfortunately, while opinions vary widely, no one knows for certain how these powerful tools will impact employment, education, and everyday life long-term. What we do know is that change is happening fast — and you don’t want to be left behind.
To thrive in the AI revolution, it’s crucial to understand AI’s workings, capabilities, and potential benefits.
Simplicity on the Surface, Complexity Beneath
What’s so unique — and for some, so startling — about AI is how simple it is to use. Using generative AI is as easy as sending a text. Seconds later, you’re provided with a human-like response to any question, request, or prompt you can think of.
While AI is simple to use, it’s anything but under the surface. Behind every conversation you have with an AI tool is a complex web of programming attached to high-powered servers that can interpret, then generate a response to your prompt using machine learning and large language models — all in the blink of an eye.
The whole thing is admittedly pretty complicated, so instead of getting lost in the details, why not let AI tell us about itself? Here’s the result of a conversation I had with Google Gemini (available to students, faculty, and staff as part of Generative AI @ Pitt) that provides both a definition and a demonstration.
Prompt: Please write one brief paragraph about how AI works. Focus on AI's history and its differences from previous smart technology, specifically in Pittsburgh and its local universities, including the University of Pittsburgh.
Gemini: AI simulates human intelligence by using algorithms to analyze vast datasets, identify patterns, and make decisions. Unlike previous “smart” technologies that relied on rigid, pre-programmed instructions, AI distinguishes itself through its capacity for learning and adaptation from data over time that allows for flexibility and improved performance in dynamic environments. Pittsburgh has played a foundational role in this evolution, with Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) being recognized as the “birthplace of AI” due to the pioneering work of Herbert Simon and Allen Newell in the 1960s. The University of Pittsburgh, alongside CMU, continues to be a major contributor to AI research, particularly focusing on areas like human-centered AI, ethical AI in healthcare, and collaborative initiatives with industry leaders such as NVIDIA to advance computational opportunities in health sciences.
As a cherry on top, some of the most powerful tools are available at no direct cost to the user. It should, however, be noted that many publicly available “free” AI tools do come at a cost. Instead of a fee, the service providers use the data you supply via prompts to train their models, and they may even sell your personal data to third parties. That means anything entered into the free version of an AI tool isn’t secure or private, so your data has the potential to be seen by others. Hence, it’s important to use only approved GenAI tools when working with University data.
AI's Power: Human Insight Is Essential
On the surface, it’s staggering that generative AI can output an entire paragraph faster than I wrote the prompt. But by using these tools every day, I understand there’s a big difference between human and “human-like.”
Generating images and text in an instant is a great party trick; however, getting AI to produce something truly useful can be challenging and time consuming. Take my conversation with Gemini as an example. What I included above was actually Gemini’s fifth attempt, and I edited it for length and clarity. In my prompt, I made sure to specify what sort of information I needed based on my first-hand knowledge and experience, otherwise Gemini would have given a generic answer or led me in a potentially irrelevant direction.
Human guidance is key to making GenAI a successful productivity tool. Your prompts provide context and direction, and luckily, your brain is still the best tool available to make effective, informed choices. GenAI can’t access your lived experience to supply the context necessary to make productive decisions. Because of that, your human brain is crucial to making the AI tools we have today actually useful.
Want to know what AI’s best at? Here are 5 ways Generative AI @ Pitt will supercharge your work.
Thrive in the AI Era
Learning to use AI can help you keep pace with a rapidly accelerating world. These tools promise to change the ways we live, study, work, and communicate. Whether we’re using it to speed up disease detection, make school more accessible, or simply send an email, AI has the potential to improve our lives in countless ways.
While the classroom and the workplace are sure to change, the power of GenAI is based in the knowledge and skill of its users. So, here’s what you need to know to prepare for the AI future: While AI is certain to cause disruptions, learning how to use and apply it is essential for remaining relevant and competitive in the evolving workforce. Some of the worst-case scenarios about a potential AI takeover are little more than science fiction. Still, it’s important to mindfully engage with these tools to align your skillset with a changing digital world.
That’s why we created Generative AI @ Pitt — a suite of carefully curated AI tools backed by a stamp of approval from Pitt Digital’s information security team. These tools are completely free to use with your Pitt credentials, and you don’t have to worry that your data is going somewhere you don’t want it to. Pitt Digital is here to help you apply GenAI to support what you do best. Stay tuned for more resources that uncover what’s possible with Generative AI @ Pitt.
— Rachel Bachy, Pitt Digital
In the spirit of applying the tools we provide, the example paragraph in this article was generated by Google Gemini, which also offered minor improvements on phrasing.
