To Ask or Not to Ask AI, As An RA

In the span of around two years, AI is integrated everywhere, and there’s a good chance you have used it at least once. Yet, like any tool, using AI responsibly is key in your role as a student leader. This is especially the case when you’re upholding a position anchored by trust, communication, and connection. 

As a student leader, you’re juggling being a student, your relationships, and other responsibilities on top of programming, documentation, community building, etc. As the world around us gets faster paced and optimization tools are at our fingertips, it could be beneficial to explore how to use those tools to balance your responsibilities. AI can serve as a collaborative, creative partner to your work and imagination. However, it should not be relied upon as a crisis line or personal assistant for sensitive, confidential tasks. While your university’s provided tools may be better at managing data privacy (but not always…), it can definitely not be guaranteed that other AI tools have those same data protections.

Here’s a helpful guide on what you can and shouldn’t ask AI tools in your role as a student leader:

To Ask:

• Brainstorming program ideas – Start from scratch or give it a few ideas already in your mind to generate events when you have programmer’s block!
• Crafting program titles – Have a great program but no title for the flyer? Describe it and pick from generated ideas!
• Creating a supply list – Describe your program and see what items you may need for it so you don’t miss anything!
• Drafting learning outcomes – If your institution has a curricular programming model, you may need to create learning goals for your program proposals. If you’re stuck, you can ask!
• Finding engaging icebreakers – Be it activities or questions, there are plenty to be generated!
• Generating sample interview questions – Re-applying for your role? Practice your interview skills by generating mock interview questions!

These are great ways to let AI help you spark ideas, save time, and boost creativity all without crossing any boundaries.

Not to Ask:

• Writing reports or logs – Incident reports, duty logs, etc. all contain sensitive information regarding residents. They also require your unadulterated observations. It is best to stay on the safe side and write these reports on your own!
• Asking for advice or guidance – Resident situations and emergencies are sensitive parts of the work we do. When there is a crisis, reach out to your supervisor or professional staff on-call to receive direction and support!
• Getting help with personal statements/application responses – Applying to a position should mean communicating your skills and experiences authentically. Generating a response can also hinder your ability to represent your true voice and passion for the job!
• Writing emails to staff & faculty – While it may be helpful to reference templates when drafting emails, generating email messages entirely on your behalf can once again be inauthentic as well as not accurately convey your request/inquiry.
• Lacking intentionality –  Generative AI is very energy and water consuming as a resource. For that reason, using tools sparingly and having conversations with a goal in mind is highly recommended!

Some tasks require your personal judgment, confidentiality, and ethical responsibility. Using AI for these could violate privacy, cause miscommunication, or simply not meet the expectations of your role. Always ask your supervisor for any advice, guidance, and support you may need!