How I Write 1st Class Essays Using ChatGPT (The Best Essay Technique)

Dr Alex Young
5 Mar 202312:38

TLDRThe video discusses the use of AI tools like Chat GPT in academic essay writing. It outlines a structured approach to writing essays, emphasizing the importance of a strong introduction, a well-organized main body with clear headings and subheadings, and a concise conclusion. The speaker shares tips on how to use Chat GPT for generating ideas and writing sections of the essay, while also cautioning against relying solely on AI for original content and personal opinions. The video also addresses concerns about plagiarism and the use of AI detection tools, advocating for a balance between AI assistance and original thought to create valuable and authentic academic work.

Takeaways

  • 📚 **AI in Education**: Chat GPT is revolutionizing the education system, with some institutions embracing AI while others are banning it due to concerns over plagiarism.
  • 🚫 **Ban on AI Tools**: The New York City Department of Education has restricted access to AI chat bots like Chat GPT that generate written content.
  • 📝 **Writing Process with AI**: The video outlines a method for using AI tools like Chat GPT to assist in writing academic essays, including structuring the essay into introduction, main body, and conclusion.
  • 🔍 **Keyword Identification**: When writing an introduction, identify and define keywords from the essay title to set the scene for the main body.
  • 🎯 **Customization with AI**: To get a more personalized essay, provide Chat GPT with additional instructions, such as adopting a specific persona or mimicking a preferred writing style.
  • 📊 **Structured Main Body**: Break down the main body of the essay into headings and subheadings that reflect the essay title and instructions, using AI for brainstorming.
  • ✍️ **Originality and Research**: While AI can help structure and draft parts of the essay, it cannot replace original research and personal opinion, which are crucial for academic integrity.
  • 📉 **Plagiarism Concerns**: Fully AI-generated content may not be original and could trigger plagiarism detection software, which is why it's important to integrate personal research and views.
  • 📈 **Productivity and Time Management**: Assigning word counts to different sections of the essay can help manage the writing process more effectively.
  • 🧐 **Readability and Simplification**: Use AI tools to improve the readability of the essay, making it understandable to a wider audience, including simplifying complex concepts.
  • ⚖️ **Ethics and Learning**: The speaker questions the effectiveness of essay writing for learning and assessment, advocating for a structured approach that includes personal opinion and original thought.

Q & A

  • What is the main topic of the video?

    -The main topic of the video is how to write an academic essay using AI tools like Chat GPT.

  • Why are some institutions banning AI tools like Chat GPT?

    -Some institutions are banning AI tools like Chat GPT due to concerns about plagiarism and the potential for students to submit essays that are not their original work.

  • What is the role of an introduction in an academic essay?

    -The introduction serves as a gateway argument, presenting the reader with the main topic and setting the scene for the main body of the essay.

  • How can Chat GPT assist with writing the main body of an essay?

    -Chat GPT can help generate headings, subheadings, and talking points for the main body of an essay, which can then be further developed by the user.

  • What are the potential issues with using Chat GPT to generate the entirety of an essay?

    -Using Chat GPT to generate an entire essay can lead to a lack of originality, potential errors, and may not reflect the student's personal views or opinions.

  • How can AI tools help with grammar and readability of an essay?

    -AI tools like Grammarly and Quill Bot can check for grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors, while also helping to improve the readability and clarity of the essay's content.

  • What is the importance of including the writer's own opinion in an essay?

    -Including the writer's own opinion adds originality and personal insight to the essay, which is valuable to the reader and demonstrates the writer's understanding and engagement with the topic.

  • How can Chat GPT be used to improve the structure of an essay?

    -Chat GPT can help by generating structured headings and subheadings that reflect the essay's title and instructions, providing a clear framework for the main body of the essay.

  • What is the 'fireman technique' mentioned in the video?

    -The 'fireman technique' refers to the ability to explain complex concepts in simple language that a six-year-old can understand, emphasizing the importance of clear and understandable language in academic writing.

  • How does the video suggest overcoming the challenge of writing about one's own opinion in an essay?

    -The video suggests that writing about one's own opinion can be easier because it comes from personal beliefs and experiences, and it encourages diving into real detail in these sections.

  • What are the concerns regarding the use of AI-generated content in academic essays?

    -Concerns include the potential for plagiarism, the lack of original research and attribution, and the possibility that AI-generated content may not accurately represent the student's views or meet academic integrity standards.

  • How can students ensure their essays are original and not flagged by plagiarism detection software?

    -Students can ensure originality by using AI tools as a starting point for generating ideas and structure, but then conducting their own research, adding their personal insights, and ensuring that the final essay is a product of their own work and thoughts.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to Academic Essay Writing with AI

This paragraph introduces the topic of using AI, specifically chat GPT, in academic essay writing. It discusses the mixed responses from educational institutions, with some allowing AI references while others ban it. The video aims to guide viewers on how to write an academic essay using AI tools, covering introductions, main body, conclusion, grammar checking, and plagiarism. The speaker shares a personal system for essay writing that consistently achieved top grades and suggests integrating this with AI for a strong introduction and structured main body.

05:00

🤖 Utilizing AI for Essay Structure and Content

The second paragraph delves into how AI can assist in essay writing by generating headings, subheadings, and talking points that reflect the essay's title and instructions. It emphasizes the importance of breaking down the essay into manageable sections and using AI for brainstorming and automating parts of the process. However, it also warns about the limitations of AI, such as the lack of originality and research capabilities, and the potential for plagiarism. The paragraph suggests using AI to draft sections of the essay but stresses the need for personal input, research, and original opinion to add value and authenticity to the work.

10:01

🛠️ AI Tools in Education and the Challenge of Plagiarism

The final paragraph discusses the broader implications of AI in education, including the use of AI tools by students and the concerns of academic institutions regarding plagiarism. It mentions the development of AI detection tools by companies like OpenAI and others that help identify content generated by AI. The speaker expresses a personal view that using AI to write essays is not the most effective way to learn or assess competence, advocating for originality and personal experience in writing. The paragraph concludes with a recommendation to check out a series on generative AI and its various applications, encouraging viewers to subscribe for more content.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Chat GPT

Chat GPT refers to an artificial intelligence chat bot that is capable of generating written content. In the context of the video, it is presented as a tool that can assist in writing academic essays, though its use is controversial due to concerns about originality and plagiarism.

💡Education System

The education system refers to the structured process of teaching and learning, typically within schools and universities. The video discusses how Chat GPT has disrupted this system, with some institutions allowing its use and others banning it due to the potential for academic dishonesty.

💡Academic Essay

An academic essay is a piece of writing that presents a discussion or an argument based on academic research and critical thinking. The video provides a guide on how to use AI tools like Chat GPT to assist in writing such essays, covering aspects like introductions, main body, and conclusions.

💡Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the act of using someone else's work or ideas without giving proper credit, which is considered unethical in academic writing. The video addresses the risk of plagiarism when using AI-generated content and suggests ways to avoid it.

💡Introduction

The introduction of an essay serves as the gateway to the main argument and sets the scene for the rest of the paper. In the video, it is emphasized that a strong introduction should hook the reader and outline the essay's main points, which can be facilitated by using prompts with Chat GPT.

💡Main Body

The main body of an essay is where the bulk of the discussion and argumentation takes place. It is broken down into headings and subheadings, each with its own set of talking points. The video suggests using Chat GPT to help structure and brainstorm these sections.

💡Conclusion

The conclusion of an academic essay summarizes the key points made in the main body and often includes a call to action or a significant finding. The video discusses how Chat GPT can be used to draft a conclusion, although it may not always produce the most compelling results.

💡Grammar Checking

Grammar checking involves reviewing written work for correct spelling, punctuation, and syntax. The video mentions the use of AI tools like Grammarly or Quill Bot to ensure the essay is grammatically correct and reads well.

💡Readability

Readability refers to how easily a text can be understood by its readers. The video stresses the importance of making the essay accessible to a wide audience, suggesting the use of Chat GPT to simplify complex concepts into language that is easy to comprehend.

💡AI Detection Tools

AI detection tools are software programs designed to identify content generated by artificial intelligence. The video discusses the rise of such tools in response to the use of AI in essay writing, with some institutions using them to detect potential plagiarism.

💡Originality

Originality in writing refers to the presentation of new ideas or arguments that are not directly copied from existing sources. The video highlights the importance of originality in academic work and how relying solely on AI-generated content can compromise this.

Highlights

The future of learning is here with ChatGPT, which has already turned the education system upside down.

Some institutions are allowing students to reference AI sources, while others are trying to ban it completely.

The New York City Department of Education is cracking down on AI chat bots that generate writing.

The video will cover how to write an academic essay using AI tools like ChatGPT.

A strong introduction is crucial as it serves as the gateway argument and hooks the reader.

Using ChatGPT to define key points and grab the reader's attention can produce a very specific and focused introduction.

The main body of an essay should be broken down into headings and subheadings that reflect the essay title.

ChatGPT can help automate and structure the brainstorming process for the main body of an essay.

Assigning a word count to specific sections can make a large piece of work more manageable.

ChatGPT-generated content may not be original and could contain errors.

Essays that require personal opinion are best written by the student themselves for authenticity.

ChatGPT can assist in writing out sections of the essay, but the quality may not be high and lacks references.

When writing essays, it's important to back up points with research-backed evidence and personal opinion.

The conclusion should summarize key points made in the main body and possibly include a call to action.

Using ChatGPT to write a conclusion requires providing it with as much information as possible from the main body.

Grammar and readability checks are essential after writing an essay, with tools like Grammarly and Quill Bot available.

Many institutions are banning or adopting ChatGPT, with some professors encouraging students to try AI tools.

Plagiarism detection software is becoming more sophisticated, with AI detectors being developed to identify AI-generated content.

The essay writing process can be streamlined with a system and format, making the writing part less daunting.

Originality and personal experiences are key in essay writing; generic content is less valuable to the reader.

The presenter recommends checking out a full series on generative AI and its use cases in learning and beyond.