Before we know it, the spring semester 2024 will be almost history and, exams will be just around the corner.

A few days ago, a major Swiss daily newspaper ran the headline: “Luc doesn't read, he prefers to learn with AI: Encounters with a high school graduate who had Goethe's ‘Faust’ explained to him in full by chat GPT – and achieved the top grade”.

AI technologies indeed offer impressive possibilities for processing information and making knowledge accessible. AI can help us learn for exams, but it cannot do the actual exam preparation for us. This is because the effectiveness of AI is heavily dependent on the quality of our interactions with it.

A key aspect of the latter is intelligent prompting. Writing clear, precise and thoughtful prompts is an art that needs to be practiced. This skill is particularly invaluable during exam time, when you are using AI to penetrate learning content and make sense of complex concepts.

However, intelligent prompting requires a deep understanding of the subject matter you interact with and the ability to structure your query so that the AI provides the most relevant and accurate information. 

AI, therefore, does not do the learning for you. Rather, it is a  tool that helps you think outside the box and push the boundaries of learning. It's crucial not to forget the importance of human judgment and critical thinking. Because, as ChatGPT puts it so well, “ChatGPT can make mistakes. Check important info.”

I wish you a successful exam period and look forward to the innovative paths you will take in dealing with AI.

Best regards

Prof. Dr. Martina Caroni, LL.M. (Yale), Prorektorin Lehre und Internationale Beziehungen