Use artificial intelligences

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools are powerful aids that can assist you significantly with your text. They are capable of generating and enhancing your texts and visuals to some extent. We recommend that you use them!

However, bear in mind that your text is essentially an examination where you must demonstrate your capability to conduct and present research. As such, directly copying and pasting responses from AI tools into your text is not advisable.

Below, we outline some general guidelines for utilizing AI effectively:

Learn About New Topics

Traditionally, learning about a new topic involved searching the internet and reading articles. Now, asking an AI has become a viable alternative, with some search engines incorporating AI functionalities directly. Moreover, AI can suggest where to find reputable sources for your research.

Despite these conveniences, you need to verify the information and consult primary sources if you plan to include this data in your text.

Fact-Check Everything

Bear in mind that AIs can provide incorrect, outdated, or imprecise information. It is your responsibility to verify the accuracy of the information provided by AI. You will need to use non-AI information sources to check claims made by AI. Make sure to actually look up sources provided by AI, e.g. through Google Scholar, IEEE Explore, the ACM Digital Library, or the conference proceedings of your source. Read the paper to check that it actually contains the information that AI is claiming it does.

Enhance Grammar and Spelling

AI tools can refine your texts by correcting mistakes and suggesting synonyms.

However, be cautious as they might produce text that is too uniform, overly formal, or suggest inappropriate synonyms. Furthermore, many responses add superfluous information. It is important that you review and adjust the suggestions to ensure they match the desired tone and context of your text.

Protect your and others’ data

If you conduct a study with sensitive data from participants, do not share it with the AI! Replace the data by random data beforehand.

Generate LaTeX, design figures, …

Large Language Models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT can easily generate LaTeX, TiKZ and other visual and structured elements for you. For very complex elements they provide minimal working examples that you can then adjust to your needs.

For example, the following three requests generate a basic TikZ figure:

> I need a tikz diagram for a TLS handshake between Client and Server.

> I need the steps: ClientHello, ServerHello, ServerCertificate, ClientKeyExchange, ChangeCipherSpec, ChangeCipherSpec, Application data, Application data. The arrow shall have a space of 0.7cm.

> Use the south anchors instead of east and west. Client arrows shall be dark red. Server arrows shall be dark blue.

The result is not layouted correctly, but with some manual adjustments this results in: