For many students, studying and revision are some of the most difficult, most frustrating or most boring tasks that they have to complete. It’s essential for any subject that tests students through examination, but going over hundreds of modules of content can be a slog – especially when it’s a topic you struggle with. That’s the problem, but is generative AI the solution?
You’re likely already aware of generative AI – or artificial intelligence – and what it can do. It can answer questions, write text, generate images, audio and even video. AI has truly had a significant impact on all kinds of industries, and this impact will only grow larger as the technology continues to develop.
In this guide, we’ll explore some of the questions about using AI for study, including if it’s allowed, if it’s accurate and what it can actually do to improve your study routine. When you’re ready, let’s get started!
Basics of AI Studying
Let’s start with the basics of this topic; what is generative AI? Put simply, it’s a programme designed to answer prompts using a huge catalogue of sources and information. How it approaches this depends on the prompt given, but the aim is usually to approach the request as a human would in a realistic manner.
The current capabilities of commercial generative AI range from answering questions and speaking with users (often referred to as chatbots), writing long-form text, creating realistic voice clips and producing images and video in a wide variety of art styles. When looking at specific industries, the capabilities of AI grow even wider as people find ways to automate elements of their jobs, such as data management and upping video resolution.
As it currently stands, these systems aren’t perfect, but AI is capable of doing more than anyone pre-2020 could have imagined. Many industries have been shaken because of it, for better and for worse, and many are now adapting their processes to accommodate the new technology.
Of course, this doesn’t exclude education, which is one of the fields that has actually been the most affected by the rise of AI. Everything from exams to teaching has been impacted and it’s now no longer a case of if AI should be used. Instead, we must ask how it can be used safely to avoid cheating, misinformation and a general decline in standards.
Am I Allowed To Use AI To Study?
Yes, you are. Studying is a very personal thing that everyone does in their own way. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution to learning or revising, so students will always gravitate towards certain tools.
It’s impossible to deny that using AI for studying is appealing to most students due to its convenience and quick turn-around. However, schools and universities don’t set rules on how you can study outside of class. As long as you’re achieving the grades you need and aren’t breaking any rules or laws, anything’s fair game.
In fact, OpenAI has launched a new initiative to provide affordable, safe AI technology to universities, ChatGPT Edu. This has been based on the usage of AI at multiple major US universities and aims to provide an AI experience that’s safe for all students to use for their studies.
With that in mind, you still need to understand that there are limits to what you’re allowed to use AI for. Usage for revision is fine, but problems may begin to arise when using AI for work that you will actually be marked on, such as essays, research projects, dissertations, etc.
Although it has taken time for schools to catch up with the rise of AI, most places now have strict rules regarding AI-generated work, mostly with similar standards to plagiarised work. AI has its place in supporting students, but the line is drawn when segments of written work are produced by (or heavily based on) AI-generated responses.
Should I Use AI To Study?
It’s completely up to personal preference. The benefits can be huge, making the process of revision much easier and allowing for potentially unlimited revision material in the form of practice questions and subject guides.
However, you must be aware of the risks of AI, primarily that it can often make mistakes. AI pulls information from millions of sources and the current programs available for use aren’t capable of fact-checking every single response. As a result, the risk of receiving misinformation is definitely worth considering.
It may seem counter-intuitive, but it’s important to fact-check the information you receive whenever you’re not sure of something. It may take more time, but not doing so puts you at risk of entering your exams with false information, something that could cost you the grades you need.
With this understanding of generative AI, let’s explore how AI could benefit you during your studies and revision sessions.
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Basics of AI Studying
There are lots of generative AI tools available, but for this guide, we’ll mostly be exploring things that OpenAI’s Chat GPT can support you with.
When thinking about how you might want to use AI in your studies, think about the processes that help you learn and retain information. Then, consider how these processes could be automated. If you’ve got ideas that could be feasible on Chat-GPT, give them a try – it’s free to use!
If you’re not sure where to start, here are nine ways that we thought of to implement AI into your studies:
- Planning and Organising Study Schedules
- Creating Study Guides and Summaries
- Generating Practice Questions and Quizzes
- Assisting with Essay Writing and Editing
- Reviewing and Annotating Reading Material
- Language Learning and Practice
- Digital Tutoring Sessions
- AI-Assisted Data Gathering and Interpretation
- References for Artwork
Each of these study methods has its own merits and drawbacks, but it’s ultimately down to you how you wish to use AI in your work (within the constraints of the rules).
To help you get started with your studies, let’s break down how each of these uses looks, explore the pros and cons of each and make recommendations for whether you should use them or not.
Planning and Organising Study Schedules
When it comes to revision for any major exam, we always recommend having a study plan ready to help focus your revision sessions and keep track of your progress. It’s usually the first thing you should do to prepare for an exam, but this process is typically a very personal thing.
Each person has their own unique schedule and preferences for working, so how could AI produce a plan that’s tailored to your needs? In reality, it likely isn’t going to be able to do this (without you uploading your whole calendar for reference).
Instead, AI can help you build your revision plan by breaking down different subjects and topics into manageable chunks. When looking at your syllabus, it can feel like there’s too much to possibly cover. An AI would look at this and create a logical breakdown of everything included using its existing knowledge, potentially even offering estimated times to cover certain topics. This isn’t going to be perfect and will likely be used as inspiration rather than a complete plan, but it could save you a good amount of time by processing and segmenting all of this information automatically.
The important thing is to follow a plan that you think is achievable. Over-reliance on AI is a potential problem with all of these study ideas, but this one may have the biggest impact if you aren’t adjusting your plan to account for your own capacity and skills. It’s okay to take things slower than an AI programme suggests – it cannot assess how you work beyond the information you provide it with.
Creating Study Guides and Summaries
With your revision plan created, the next thing you’re likely going to want to do is read up on the important topics that will be covered in the exam. Your textbooks are there for you, but these are never the most convenient way to revise as they don’t condense the information down and are too bulky to carry around with you.
That’s why many students create personalised study guides on topics they want to focus on. Personal study guides allow for a lot of creativity to present the information in a way that helps you learn and memorise best. However, they take a lot of time to make and can be prone to mistakes and missing information.
Generative AI, on the other hand, has the potential to condense and explain large amounts of information in seconds. In terms of convenience, this sounds like the perfect solution! However, is the output going to be of an acceptable standard?
Generally, the ChatGPT model can be trusted to provide accurate information on topics at a GCSE and A-Level standard. AI pulls a lot of information from the internet and most of the topics you’ll be covering in your exams are easily accessible online. Therefore, an AI-generated study guide should be very accurate and cover enough relevant information to be helpful.
Outputs can become a bit more questionable when looking at more specialised topics covered in university degrees and beyond, but AI should still have no problem summarising the basics for you. Some fact-checking will likely be required, but once you’ve verified the information, your study guide will be ready to use over and over again.
Where this use of AI begins to falter is in its personalisation of your revision materials. Firstly, ChatGPT primarily works in text-based outputs, so any additional graphic design to make your study guide will need to be done by hand (AI still struggles with mixing graphics and text).
Secondly, the output you receive is typically going to be delivered with a very flat, logical presentation that presents the facts in a straightforward manner. For some, this won’t be a problem, but others may need additional elements to support their method of working (images, quotes, practical examples, etc). Many of these elements can be added with more specific prompts, but it’s easy to fall into the trap of trying to perfect your request instead of just putting it together yourself.
Can AI Make Revision Flashcards
The same principle discussed can also be applied to making revision flashcards. To do this, all you’ll need to do is request flashcards on a specific topic (be sure to state how many you want). AI can theoretically make an infinite number of these, although you’re still going to need to fact-check them if you’re not sure.
![Chat GPT Battle of Dunkirk Flashcard Generation](https://www.uniadmissions.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Screenshot-2024-06-06-at-14.20.13-1024x613.png)
Overall, this is a great way to build the foundations of your revision material as long as you’re willing to take some time to fact-check and put it in a more presentable format.
Generating Practice Questions and Quizzes
This next one is a very appealing prospect for students, as practice tests and questions are one of the most effective ways to prepare for any exam. Whether it’s GCSEs, university EoY exams or even Oxbridge admissions tests, we always suggest taking on as many practice questions as possible.
The issue is that large amounts of practice materials are usually hard to come by for free, as question banks for most exams are locked behind paywalls. Official past papers are usually made available for free, but the amount of questions these provide is limited. This is a problem that AI could potentially solve.
Let’s use the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) as an example for generating practice questions with AI. This test has five separate subtests, all of which are multiple-choice. One of these subtests is Verbal Reasoning, which features a passage to analyse and a question relating to it. Let’s generate a UCAT-styled Verbal Reasoning practice question:
AI-Generated UCAT Verbal Reasoning Question
Prompt: Write a UCAT-styled Verbal Reasoning question with solution.
Passage:
The resurgence of interest in electric vehicles (EVs) can be attributed to various factors, including environmental concerns, technological advancements, and governmental policies. Over the past decade, significant improvements in battery technology have extended the range of EVs, making them more practical for everyday use. Additionally, the cost of manufacturing EV batteries has decreased, resulting in more affordable vehicles for consumers. Governments around the world have also played a crucial role by providing incentives such as tax breaks and subsidies to promote the adoption of electric vehicles. Despite these advancements, challenges remain, including the need for a more robust charging infrastructure and the ongoing reliance on non-renewable resources for electricity production. As the automotive industry continues to innovate, the future of transportation looks increasingly electric.
Question:
According to the passage, which of the following is NOT mentioned as a factor contributing to the resurgence of interest in electric vehicles?
A) Environmental concerns
B) Improvements in battery technology
C) Increasing fuel prices
D) Governmental policies
Step-by-Step Solution:
Identify the factors mentioned in the passage:
- Environmental concerns: “The resurgence of interest in electric vehicles (EVs) can be attributed to various factors, including environmental concerns…”
- Improvements in battery technology: “Over the past decade, significant improvements in battery technology have extended the range of EVs, making them more practical for everyday use.”
- Governmental policies: “Governments around the world have also played a crucial role by providing incentives such as tax breaks and subsidies to promote the adoption of electric vehicles.”
Evaluate each option against the passage:
- Option A (Environmental concerns): Mentioned in the passage.
- Option B (Improvements in battery technology): Mentioned in the passage.
- Option C (Increasing fuel prices): Not mentioned in the passage.
- Option D (Governmental policies): Mentioned in the passage.
Conclusion:
- The passage does not mention increasing fuel prices as a factor contributing to the resurgence of interest in electric vehicles. Therefore, the correct answer is C) Increasing fuel prices, not A.
The result is a question that seems pretty realistic at first glance. The format is mostly correct, the difficulty seems appropriate and the solution given makes sense. There are fewer answer options than you expect from the UCAT, but this is generally a very realistic practice question.
When generating questions, request that the answer is not shown to you yet, otherwise, you’ll see the solution before you’ve had a chance to answer. You can request a worked solution afterwards.
Let’s try one for Situational Judgement:
AI-Generated UCAT Situational Judgement Question
Prompt: Write a UCAT-styled Situational Judgement question with solution.
Scenario:
You are a junior doctor working in a busy hospital. One of your colleagues, Dr. Smith, who is also a junior doctor, has been consistently arriving late to shifts and leaving early. This behavior is putting extra pressure on the rest of the team and affecting patient care. You have noticed this several times but have not yet addressed it.
Question:
What is the most appropriate action to take in this situation?
A) Ignore Dr. Smith’s behavior and continue with your work.
B) Confront Dr. Smith directly and tell him that his behavior is unacceptable.
C) Discuss the situation with your supervisor and express your concerns.
D) Report Dr. Smith to the hospital’s administration for unprofessional conduct
Step-by-Step Solution:
Evaluate each option based on appropriateness and effectiveness:
Option A: Ignoring Dr. Smith’s behavior.
- Assessment: Ignoring the issue is not appropriate as it allows the problem to continue, potentially compromising patient care and the team’s workload.
- Effectiveness: Low. This action does not address or resolve the problem.
Option B: Confronting Dr. Smith directly.
- Assessment: Direct confrontation can lead to conflict and may not be the best way to address professional behavior issues, especially without understanding the underlying reasons for Dr. Smith’s actions.
- Effectiveness: Medium. This might address the issue immediately, but it can also create tension and is not the most professional approach.
Option C: Discussing the situation with your supervisor.
- Assessment: Discussing with a supervisor is appropriate as they are in a position to handle such issues. It ensures that the problem is addressed formally and professionally.
- Effectiveness: High. This action is likely to lead to a constructive solution and ensures that proper procedures are followed.
Option D: Reporting to the hospital’s administration.
- Assessment: Reporting to administration is a serious step and may be appropriate if the behavior continues after initial steps are taken. However, it is usually best to follow the chain of command and try to resolve issues at a lower level first.
- Effectiveness: Medium. This action may resolve the issue but can be seen as an overreaction if initial steps have not been taken.
Determine the most appropriate action:
- Option C is the most appropriate action to take in this situation. It involves discussing your concerns with your supervisor, which is a professional way to address the issue and ensures that it is handled appropriately within the team’s hierarchy.
Conclusion:
- The most appropriate action is C) Discuss the situation with your supervisor and express your concerns.
This ensures that the issue is addressed formally and professionally, likely leading to a constructive resolution while maintaining team harmony and patient care standards.
This response is less useful, as the question format doesn’t represent the actual UCAT. While the logic behind the solution makes sense, this isn’t going to help you with your UCAT prep in the long run because you won’t encounter a question with this format in the test.
One way that ChatGPT can’t help you is with any questions that involve more complex visual elements, such as Abstract Reasoning in the UCAT. Here’s what happens when we request a question for this subtest:
![Chat GPT UCAT Abstract Reasoning Practice Question Generation](https://www.uniadmissions.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Screenshot-2024-06-06-at-14.35.58-1024x897.png)
As you can see, the foundation of the question is there but the images haven’t loaded correctly, meaning we can’t see the most important part of the question.
So multiple-choice questions offer mixed results, but what about questions with long-form answers, such as mathematical problems? Here’s a generated question styled after the Mathematics Admissions Test (MAT):
AI-Generated MAT Question
Prompt: write a mathematics admissions test question about integration.
Question:
Consider the function f(x) = x3 − 6x2 + 9x + 4
- (a) Find the indefinite integral of f(x). (5 marks)
Solution:
- (a) Find the indefinite integral of f(x) = x3 − 6x2+ 9x + 4.
To find the indefinite integral ∫f(x) dx, we integrate each term separately:
Using the power rule for integration ∫xn dx = xn + 1/n + 1 + C:
- Integrate x3: ∫x3 dx = x4/4
- Integrate -62: ∫-62 dx = -6 . x3/3 = -2x3
- Integrate 9x: ∫9x dx = 9 . x2/2 = 9x2 /2
- Integrate the constant 4: ∫4 dx = 4x
Combining all these, we get the indefinite integral:
∫(x3 − 6x2 + 9x + 4) dx = (x4/2) + 2x3 + (9x2/2) + 4x + C
This response seems very in line with what you would want when practising for a test like the MAT, with the question in the correct format and an in-depth explanation of the solution.
The same principle applies to written questions as well, such as the one below:
English Literature Exam Question
Prompt: Write an exam question about Of Mice and Men
Question:
John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men” explores themes of friendship, dreams, and loneliness through the lives of itinerant workers during the Great Depression.
(a) Analyze the significance of the friendship between George and Lennie in the context of the novel. How does their relationship differ from the other characters’ interactions? (10 marks)
(b) Discuss the role of dreams in the novel, focusing on George and Lennie’s shared dream of owning a piece of land. How do dreams influence their actions and interactions with others? (10 marks)
(c) Examine how Steinbeck portrays loneliness through the characters of Crooks, Curley’s wife, and Candy. What techniques does he use to convey their isolation? (10 marks)
Total: 30 marks
Suggested Answer Outline
(a) Significance of George and Lennie’s Friendship
- Dependence and Protection: George protects Lennie due to his mental disability, and Lennie provides George with companionship, which is rare among itinerant workers.
- Contrast to Isolation: Their friendship contrasts with the loneliness experienced by other characters, highlighting the theme of human connection.
- Survival: Their relationship is also practical for survival, offering emotional and financial support in a harsh economic environment.
- Example Quotes: “Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don’t belong no place…With us it ain’t like that. We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us.”
(b) Role of Dreams
- Hope and Motivation: George and Lennie’s dream of owning a piece of land symbolizes hope and a sense of purpose. It motivates them to endure the hardships they face.
- Illusion vs. Reality: The dream reflects the broader American Dream and its elusiveness, as the economic conditions make it almost impossible to achieve.
- Influence on Actions: The dream affects their decisions, like taking up jobs and interacting with characters who share or threaten their vision (e.g., Candy’s desire to join them).
- Example Quotes: “We’d just live there. We’d belong there. There wouldn’t be no more runnin’ round the country and gettin’ fed by a Jap cook.”
(c) Portrayal of Loneliness
- Crooks: As an African American stable hand, Crooks faces racial segregation, which isolates him from the others. Steinbeck uses his living quarters in the barn as a physical symbol of his loneliness.
- Curley’s Wife: She remains unnamed, signifying her lack of identity and personal fulfillment. Her attempts to connect with the men highlight her desperation for companionship.
- Candy: As an aging, disabled worker, Candy fears being useless and alone. His old dog’s fate serves as a metaphor for his own concerns about aging and disposability.
- Techniques: Steinbeck employs dialogue, setting, and symbolism to illustrate loneliness. For instance, Crooks’ room is filled with possessions that indicate his prolonged isolation.
- Example Quotes: Crooks: “A guy needs somebody – to be near him. A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody.”
This structured response addresses the themes and character dynamics within “Of Mice and Men” and provides textual evidence to support analysis.
AI-Generated Mock Exams
It’s certainly possible to create a full mock exam with AI, but it may take more time than you think. Current AI models don’t tend to have the capacity to generate more than a couple of pages of text in one response, so don’t expect to receive a full mock exam paper from a single prompt. Instead, you’ll likely need to generate questions one at a time, which could take a long time for exams that feature 100+ questions (such as the UCAT).
Generally speaking, AI-generated practice questions are a great way to get some quick preparation materials for free, but should you rely solely on them? Probably not, as there are multiple drawbacks to this method of practice.
Firstly, there’s the aforementioned problem of capacity, which could lead to you spending more time generating questions than actually practising (not to mention the time needed to generate solutions afterwards). Secondly is the format of the questions. While lots of tests are still taken on paper (something that you can easily replicate with AI by printing out responses), many more are now taken digitally on dedicated platforms.
Oxford and Cambridge admissions tests have both recently been moved to a digital format created by Pearson VUE, and school/university examinations may soon follow suit. ChatGPT can’t replicate this platform in any way, so those using AI are only getting half of the practice experience.
Lastly, there’s the issue of just how accurate these questions are to the real exam, both in terms of difficulty, correctness and content covered. Most exams will have specifications that cover the required knowledge for the paper, but AI questions may not take this into account and produce questions with unrelated knowledge. Question difficulty is much harder to quantify, but the AI model doesn’t have any method to tell if a question is hard or not.
All of these issues are solved to some degree by using remade question banks, either from official sources or third parties. These question banks usually contain an abundance of questions available instantly and usually replicate the digital systems of the actual exams. The issue of difficulty is still an issue for third-party question banks (as the questions aren’t written by the official source), but these questions are usually written by those who know the exam well and have a good grasp of how to replicate it accurately and correctly.
The main arguments against these question banks are the issues of cost or amounts of questions and worked solutions. Ideally, the use of AI questions would be limited to quick practice sessions on specific areas that you struggle with, with most practice being done in proper question banks. It’s still a great option to have, but not one you should rely too heavily on.
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Assisting with Essay Writing and Editing
The use of AI in essays is one of the most contentious issues in academia right now, as fully AI-generated work is frequently being submitted to faculty. To state the obvious, AI should never be used to generate significant portions of your written work. Not only is it cheating but it will generally produce lower-quality work than what you’re capable of due to its lack of nuance and emotional understanding.
We’ve explored the use of AI in relation to UCAS Personal Statements, but most of the same principles apply to essays and other written work. In that guide, we determined that there were three use cases for AI that would be both helpful and appropriate:
- Creating a Skeleton: AI can be useful for creating a basic plan to build off of. This can include generating talking points, analysing any test involved and suggesting a structure. Just be sure to customise the suggestions to suit your own thoughts.
- Rephrasing Sentences: Sometimes, you’ll write a sentence that doesn’t sound write but you aren’t sure how to fix it. AI can provide guidance for this by rewording sentences based on your original wording. This is an easy use to abuse, so ensure you only use it for sentences that you’re struggling with.
- Shortening Work: Most essays will have set word limits which can sometimes be difficult to meet if you have so much to say. Manually shortening sentences is a slog and doesn’t always work, but AI can rephrase excerpts to meet a certain word count. This will need to be done in small batches of 1-2 sentences and any output should be edited to improve the flow and wording.
Reviewing and Annotating Reading Material
This is a very popular use case for AI, but often for the wrong reasons. If you need to write about a particular text, it can be tempting to skip reading it and use an annotated version instead to cover the key points. With generative AI, you don’t even need to look for a reliable source anymore!
However, doing this isn’t going to benefit you in the long run, especially if you encounter questions about elements not covered in these notes. Instead, these annotations should be used as supplemental material after completing the main reading. These materials are great for revising key facts and themes, but they’re never a replacement for the actual text.
Language Learning and Practice
ChatGPT can converse in multiple languages and can therefore be used to practice your written language skills. When used as a chatbot, the program can provide very realistic responses to your questions and comments and generally writes with correct grammar for the language it’s speaking.
Not every language is supported here but it does work well with many of the major European languages. If you’re looking to simply have a natural conversation in a different language, AI could be the perfect tool to supplement your learning.
However, it has to be supplementary due to the limits it possesses. Firstly, ChatGPT states that it can’t learn or teach languages, meaning you won’t get proper lessons from it. It also seems to have trouble correcting mistakes that you make in the language, although this could be improved with future updates.
The biggest limitation is that you aren’t going to be able to have a realistic spoken conversation with Chat GPT or any other AI program currently available. There have been attempts to make this work, but speaking with an AI is currently nowhere near as effective, realistic or accurate as speaking with another human who will be able to provide correct pronunciations and support you anywhere you may be struggling.
![Chat GPT French Conversation](https://www.uniadmissions.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Screenshot-2024-06-06-at-15.14.27-1024x722.png)
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Digital Tutoring Sessions
This is a very enticing prospect for many students; having a free, realistic online tutor who’s available 24/7. It’s something that may one day be achievable but, for now, the technology isn’t where it needs to be to achieve this.
Many assume that a tutor is just someone who’s there to teach you information and answer questions, but this is far from true. If you’re working with a talented tutor, you’ll be developing an academic relationship with them that serves to lift you up and generally boost your abilities.
Tutors get to know you on a deeper level, including how you best learn, how you approach problems and, most importantly, where your strengths and weaknesses lie in a given subject. This is crucial they will have the skills necessary to help you focus your learning and improve where you struggle. It’s one of the many benefits of tutoring and isn’t something that AI can replicate.
When working with an AI “tutor”, all you’ll be receiving is answers to your questions based on the information available to it. There’s no level of personalisation beyond what you ask and no understanding of how you work as a person. Without this or an effective preparation plan, you’re far less likely to make any progress on your weakest areas.
![ChatGPT Tuition Example](https://www.uniadmissions.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Screenshot-2024-06-06-at-15.23.38-1024x819.png)
Many students can get by without tuition and, for them, having a chatbot to ask questions to may be enough. But for those who need additional support, AI is currently no replacement for a highly-trained, highly-skilled tutor who specialises in the subject you’re learning.
These last two suggestions fall more into the realm of coursework than study, but we felt they were important to discuss as they relate to two fairly prominent features of AI.
AI-Assisted Data Gathering and Interpretation
When it comes to research projects, one of the most boring and frustrating tasks is searching for, collating and interpreting large amounts of data. This could take many different forms, but it’s usually a very time-consuming task that can take hours or even days.
Since AI can pull information from practically anywhere on the internet, you would assume that it could be used to quickly find a data set that you need. However, this is often not the case as programs like ChatGPT can struggle to find and interpret full data sets without a direct reference. If you simply ask the program to find a specific data set, you’ll often be left with placeholder figures:
![ChatGPT-Generated Table of Student Numbers are each college at the University of Oxford](https://www.uniadmissions.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Screenshot-2024-06-06-at-15.28.23-1024x850.png)
However, AI can come in handy if you already have the data available. If you have a large data set that you need to put in a certain format or condense down, AI programs are usually a lot more competent. Although the data gathering was done manually, AI formatting and interpretation can still save a lot of time on fairly low-skilled work. Just be sure to double-check the results given for errors.
References for Artwork
Lastly, we have a use for one of the more impressive AI systems developed; AI Image Generation. If you aren’t aware, AI tools like DALL-E can generate images in many art styles based on text prompts. The more specific the prompt, the more likely you’re going to find what you’re looking for from the output.
There’s been an incredible increase in the amount of AI-generated artwork being produced and published quickly, but the technology is currently far from perfect. AI-generated art is generally easy to spot, especially photo-realistic images, due to its distinctive style and frequent errors and inconsistencies. As such, schools and universities have generally been able to keep on top of AI work being submitted.
It should go without saying that AI art shouldn’t be submitted as your own work, but is there a way to use this technology without sacrificing your artistic integrity? One use that some people have discovered is the use of AI images for reference to support their own work.
This works best for fully unique concepts that aren’t easy to find visualisations of. If you’re stuck on how to approach an idea, then generating a few AI images may give you the inspiration you need. In other cases, you may wish to generate a series of images to be placed on a mood board to further drive inspiration.
However, this is another tool that’s very easy to abuse or become overly dependent on. Using it for ideas occasionally shouldn’t cause any harm, but you may find yourself using it more and more until all of your work is based on AI imagery. Using references in art is recommended, but it’s important that you take inspiration from a wide variety of artists and styles, not just AI-generated work.
Beyond that, you may also feel the temptation to copy an AI-generated image directly, which is going even further into over-reliance. Overall, we would suggest using this tool in very small quantities and only to inspire your own work. Art degrees require personal expression which cannot be replicated by AI, so you’ll only be hurting your chances of success, as well as your personal development.
That covers nine ways that we believe AI could be used in study and revision. Bear in mind that although these methods can be used, we don’t necessarily agree that they all should be used. There are some really helpful options discussed here, but it’s important to always consider the limitations of AI, as well as the rules surrounding its usage. Over-reliance on AI is only going to degrade your actual ability and make you less likely to succeed in the long run, so keep it as a supplementary support option, not your primary tool.
As we’ve said, AI tools can be very limited, so it’s important to learn about revision techniques that you can implement yourself. We already discussed how you can revise effectively and we discovered three ways to boost your chances of earning A*s in your A-Levels, so be sure to check out those guides.
We also have a huge library of guides relating to university admissions tests, including the UCAT, as well as guides on the rest of the Oxbridge and medical school application process. If you’re looking for more in-depth support for your application, check out our Oxbridge Programmes, Admissions Test Programmes and Interview Programmes to discover how our formula for Oxbridge success can triple your chances of getting an offer.
We hope this guide has been useful for you and we wish you the best of luck with your revision!
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