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mr715

(3,106 posts)

36. The undergrads I teach

Sun Dec 7, 2025, 09:30 PM

Dec 7

use AI for studying, and several in other classes have used it to generate written work (lab reports, etc.). But it is pretty easily spotted.

There is a distribution of intelligence in the population, and the people that aren't critical thinkers are often the same people that leave the formatting and semantics straight out of chatgpt. With regard to my students, I insist they write. Like, in a notebook with a pencil. But I teach genetics.

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I was thinking about this "AI" stuff . . . [View all] AverageOldGuy Dec 7 OP

Critical work was and is done slowly and carefully. usonian Dec 7 #1

Now it is on my mind MuseRider Dec 7 #2

I'm 56 and I've only seen a slide rule once or twice. Haggard Celine Dec 7 #3

False premise. NASA and the other entities involved used computers. They did not only use slide rules. Celerity Dec 7 #4

Didn't John Glenn ask the women mathmaticians of "Hiden Figures" to do manual calculations Deminpenn Dec 7 #5

Never saw that movie, but you said 'check the computer calculations' so computers were obviously used to a degree. Celerity Dec 7 #7

The computers... IcyPeas Dec 7 #15

See comment 15: the "computers" were women. TommyT139 Dec 8 #57

No, the women checked the computers' outputs. Also see comments in this thread confirming that computers were used Celerity Dec 8 #58

Jmo, but a lot of "AI" seems just to be a rebrand of things that Deminpenn Dec 7 #6

Its way more than that JCMach1 Dec 7 #10

A lot is what is called AI isn't. Ms. Toad Dec 7 #12

Then anyone could "write" such a thesis because it would require minimal knowledge and the AI highplainsdem Dec 7 #16

I've seen a couple reports that AI has already revealed some dangers... buzzycrumbhunger Dec 7 #53

. I've read a little about this, and here is what I think is going on.... reACTIONary Dec 7 #55

AI technology is the new reality anciano Dec 7 #8

You can't enhance creativity with AI, any more than you enhance creativity asking someone else to highplainsdem Dec 7 #9

I don't think this is fair. mr715 Dec 7 #14

Curious about what you mean when you say it inspires you. Do you mean you ask it for ideas? highplainsdem Dec 7 #18

It did a psychic reading mr715 Dec 7 #35

Cool 😎 .... anciano Dec 7 #40

See reply 37. highplainsdem Dec 7 #50

Okay, I'll give you an A+ for creativity just for writing a poem for a science communication workshop. highplainsdem Dec 7 #49

Yours is one of the few nuanced takes I've read about one of the major faults with AI... appmanga Dec 7 #54

Thanks, but I'm just trying to relay some of what I've heard from artists and writers and others highplainsdem Dec 8 #61

I mean... the poem was well received mr715 Dec 8 #62

GenAI is very good at mimicry. highplainsdem Dec 8 #64

Some don't need it for creativity tinrobot Dec 7 #48

We didn't do it with a slide rule DavidDvorkin Dec 7 #11

I never used a slide rule. mr715 Dec 7 #13

It isn't at all cool that AI is being widely used for cheating and students are learning less as a highplainsdem Dec 7 #19

Students also learn more... WarGamer Dec 7 #22

GenAI is never hallucination-free. I don't know where you got the idea that it is. highplainsdem Dec 7 #23

It's because history is set. WarGamer Dec 7 #25

See reply 26. highplainsdem Dec 7 #27

If you ask Grok mr715 Dec 7 #41

It wasn't that long ago that Grok was identifying him as the main source of misinformation on X, highplainsdem Dec 7 #46

Now it does funny stuff mr715 Dec 7 #47

Yes. Smarter than Einstein, and more fit than LeBron James: highplainsdem Dec 7 #51

Re hallucinations - see this article: highplainsdem Dec 7 #26

Yup I'm a Gemini Pro 3.0 power user... since day 1 and version 1. WarGamer Dec 7 #29

You just contradicted what you said minutes ago about it being hallucination-free. highplainsdem Dec 7 #31

I specifically said history topics along with other disciplines that don't change and are "set" WarGamer Dec 7 #33

The topic doesn't matter. All genAI models can hallucinate on any topic. highplainsdem Dec 7 #34

*can yes... WarGamer Dec 7 #39

Just one study: highplainsdem Dec 7 #45

And see these threads about AI and hallucinations: highplainsdem Dec 7 #28

The undergrads I teach mr715 Dec 7 #36

We need to adapt. mr715 Dec 7 #42

I'll be the first to say it: What's a slide rule? Polybius Dec 7 #17

Wikipedia is very useful: highplainsdem Dec 7 #20

Hey, never cite wikipedia! mr715 Dec 7 #43

50 years ago if I told you I could hold a piece of glass and access global knowledge... WarGamer Dec 7 #21

You don't know if it was "dead accurate" unless you took the time to check that those were the highplainsdem Dec 7 #24

I did... I back checked it. WarGamer Dec 7 #32

Cool 😎.... anciano Dec 7 #30

Not exactly. highplainsdem Dec 7 #37

I find this discussion fascinating. It seems that the algorithm has figured out people are inherently lazy learners. cayugafalls Dec 7 #38

It is a fancy autocorrect mr715 Dec 7 #44

Like it or not, if you have a job interview these days you better have an AI story/strategy underpants Dec 7 #52

In some professions use of AI is a badge of dishonor. highplainsdem Dec 8 #56

It's pretty mediocre jfz9580m Dec 8 #59

We weren't allowed to use a slide rule in school. That was cheating. Emile Dec 8 #60

Did you memorize logs? nt mr715 Dec 8 #65

We had to walk 5 miles barefoot in snow to school too. Emile Dec 8 #67

Uphill both ways. mr715 Dec 8 #68

LOL, that's right 👍. Emile Dec 8 #69

I wonder the same about calculators Torchlight Dec 8 #63

And grad students. nt mr715 Dec 8 #66