LAFAYETTE, La. (KATC) — As part of our continued National News Literacy Week coverage, we're diving into artificial intelligence, or A.I. As the digital landscape develops, how much can you actually trust it?
We checked in with neighbors in Lafayette Parish for their answers as we explore the benefits and dangers of A.I. as the digital landscape develops.
First, however, we asked the question: How do you get your news in the first place?
"More from social media," said University of Louisiana at Lafayette sophomore Emily Hargrave.
"Social media, mostly TikTok," Kennedy White, a 19-year-old nursing student at UL told us.
"Social media, definitely," said Louden Boudreaux, a 21-year-old senior at UL majoring in general studies.
It's not just college kids, either.
"I don't watch the news on T.V. at all," Judi Dugas, a long-time resident of Lafayette said.
"My mom is also very gullible, I have to convince her, like, that's A.I., that's not real," Hargrave mentioned.
As the role of A.I. develops, however, it's important to understand its effect on your algorithm.
"If you go on Facebook, like Instagram they have recommended posts and a lot of it is A.I.," Boudreaux said. "Comments are A.I., I know there are scams that are A.I. to scam older people that's very common."
"I actually shared something that was A.I. generated on a text and one of my friends texted back and said, 'Wait a minute, is that real?'"
According to Dr. Brittney Smith, Ph.D., with the News Literacy Project, one of the biggest issues is confirmation bias.
"That's an error, a cheat code to give us the information to only confirm the things that we need or we think, but not actually giving us all the information we need to make a decision," she told KATC.
Still, there are some pros and cons. Take it from your neighbors.
"Usually I'm looking for one answer and I'd rather look at my question answered than look for an entire news article with things that are unrelated," Boudreaux said.
"I'm scared of A.I. actually," White said. "None of the A.I. things like Facebook and stuff, I don't even type in there because I'm too scared it knows me."
So what exactly can you do? Dr. Steve Waters, assistant professor of journalism at UL says artificial intelligence has its time and place.
"To use it as a tool, it can be valuable, but to depend on it to inform you or be your major source of information, it's not there, I don't know if it ever will, but it's not there yet," he told us.
Here are some helpful tips you might want to keep in mind when using A.I.:
1. Be sure to use clear and specific prompts as you ask your questions — don't be vague.
2. Use your judgment. Be aware that A.I. uses a variety of different sources to process information, many which can reflect potential biases or be outdated.
3. Be cautious. A.I. can make mistakes too. Make sure to do your own fact-checking.
4. Like Professor Waters said, use it as a tool — don't fully rely on artificial intelligence to get an explanation or job done. Use it as a guide, but verify with multiple resources.
5. Understand its limits. A.I. is not perfect and may not respond well to more complicated searches or inquiries.
6. Be mindful of the personal information you share with A.I. Instead of skipping Terms of Use and privacy policies, consider reviewing it to know what's at risk for making use of A.I., even on your favorite social media platforms.
For more information on News Literacy Week and the News Literacy Project, click here.
------------------------------------------------------------
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
To reach the newsroom or report a typo/correction, click HERE.
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox. Select from these options: Breaking News, Evening News Headlines, Latest COVID-19 Headlines, Morning News Headlines, Special Offers
