An Introduction to Generative Artificial Intelligence for Academics

<ns7:p>General overview of artificial intelligence (AI) designed for academic students, workers, researchers, and teachers. A less technical introduction for those not familiar with computer science. It focuses primarily on generative AI (Gen AI), as this is the tool rapidly transforming every aspect of academic work. This primer covers four areas: 1. How does AI know what it knows? – An overview of artificial neural networks, large language models and “knowledge” ; 2. Ethics and best practices – Use cases, legal aspects and oversight; 3. Sources and tools - Support for the research process; 4. Prompting - Strategies to optimize interaction with Gen AI.</ns7:p>