In the past year, AI has burst onto the scene, presenting a plethora of possibilities for the internet. From generating funny images to using your favourite celebrities' voices on TikTok, the applications seem endless. However, AI's potential goes beyond mere entertainment. It has the ability to scour the web and produce perfectly written essays and projects with any prompt. This convenience might entice you to rely on AI to craft your CVs or university essays. Yet, despite the allure, there are numerous challenges and concerns associated with using AI in this way. Here are a few reasons to reconsider using AI to write your next cover letter or dissertation.
- Originality and plagiarism: AI language models are capable of producing content that seems original, but they do it by using a tremendous amount of internet-based existing data. You run the risk of accidentally plagiarising if you use AI to produce work without checking its authenticity.
- Lack of personal voice: AI-generated content may lack your personal voice and leave your work sounding generic or disconnected. If you are writing a cover letter, the lack of personality may mean you don’t stand out compared to other candidates.
- Ethical considerations: It would be dishonest to present AI-generated work as your own without acknowledging its AI source, this raises ethical issues concerning authenticity and openness. If you are caught using AI on applications without disclosing this, it may hinder your relationship with current or future employers.
- Contextual understanding: AI language models could have some trouble completely understanding the context and subtle aspects of certain topics or circumstances. This could lead to errors or inaccuracies.
- Quality control: Despite AI language models improving significantly, they are not perfect. There may still be mistakes or irrelevant content, meaning any work requires careful review. AI is a great tool to improve your writing, however it’s important to not depend on it to produce your work.
It is crucial to make use of AI-generated material in an ethical and responsible manner in order to solve these issues. If you use AI writing tools, consider the following:
- If any part of AI-generated material is sourced from pre-existing sources, always confirm its authenticity.
- Instead of depending solely on AI, use it to improve your writing. Keep your writing style and voice unique.
- Be open and honest about the usage of AI in your writing process with your audience.
- Review and carefully edit AI-generated information to remove any mistakes or inconsistencies.
AI has so many possibilities, but it is still in its infancy so it’s important to approach AI with caution. Using AI alongside a variety of tools is a great way to improve your work or applications but relying solely on it can be a detriment to what you can achieve yourself.