All LLMs listed now include web search and are multimodal (trained on data beyond text, such as images, audio, video, and code)
From Open AI. Free.
Using ChatGPT's Free Tier - FAQ
From Anthropic. Free. Additional functionality available for a monthly fee. Focused on reliability and safety.
Includes:
Google. Free. Formerly "Bard."
Includes:
Free.
From the company behind Facebook, Instagram, etc. Free.
From company of the same name. Free.
From Open AI. Free basic access. Additional functionality available for a paid subscription.
Free basic access. Additional functionality available for monthly fees at Premium level. Students get 40% discount.
Free basic access (limited number of papers, etc.). Additional functionality for monthly fees at Plus and Pro levels.
Free, though account required.
Free basic access (limited number of papers, etc.). Additional functionality for monthly fees at Premium and Advanced levels.
Free
Text to image generator. "Firefly is Adobe’s creative AI design tool. It brings Adobe and partner models together in one place, so you can generate images, text effects, video, and audio on web, mobile, or inside apps like Photoshop, Illustrator, Adobe Express, and Premiere Pro." (Company product description).
Re: privacy and copyright: "Adobe does not train Firefly on customer content or content mined from the web. We train our models only on content where we have permission or rights to prevent it from creating content that infringes copyright or intellectual property rights." More here.
Free for a limited number of "credits" per month. Basic and Premium plans provide more credits and functionality. Plans detailed here.
Open AI's text to image generator. Previously available only through paid subscription, but DALL-E 3 is now freely accessible via CHAT-GPT. Premium plans available for a monthly fee.
Google's text to image generator, available within Gemini, and also directly via Google Lab's ImageFX platform. Free, but a paid subscription is required for more advanced capabilities.
From Stability AI, "Stable Diffusion is a latent text-to-image diffusion model capable of generating photo-realistic images given any text input." Free for basic functionality. Paid plans provide advanced capabilities.
AI Tools vs Databases
AI tools are not databases. AI tools lack the curated precision of traditional databases but can provide quick answers and facilitate exploratory research. Some AI tools can assist in locating sources, but library databases remain the most reliable repositories of authoritative and scholarly information. A number of AI tools are paired with databases, or there are other forms of overlap, so it is important to understand the underlying mechanisms and content available through a tool or database. We recommend that you ground your research in library databases and, if you like, supplement with an AI tool.
Databases
Databases, such as library catalogs and scholarly databases, like those on the EBSCO, ProQuest, or JSTOR platforms, are structured collections of information designed for precise retrieval, reproducibility, and accountability. They are built with indexing, categorization, and metadata to ensure that users can locate specific resources, such as peer-reviewed articles, books, or reports; many of them are focused on a particular discipline, providing valuable context and increased relevance. Their reliability stems from the curation of content by experts and the use of standardized search mechanisms. Database users benefit from gaining specific knowledge of search techniques, such as Boolean logic and subject headings, which can be supported by consultations with librarians. Library databases are linked to subscription content provided by your institution as well as forms to easily and quickly request content that isn't immediately available.
AI Tools
AI tools, such as those employing natural language processing models and machine learning algorithms, are dynamic systems designed for many purposes. For those designed to locate sources of information, their methods for locating those materials or ensuring quality may not be readily transparent. Their strength lies in their adaptability and power to interpret natural language, making them accessible to users without specialized search expertise. However, most AI tools cannot guarantee the accuracy or source of their output.
AI Tools Integrated into Databases
Library databases increasingly incorporate AI tools, which essentially act as a research companion with AI-powered suggestions and insights. They enhance the user experience by combining the precision of traditional database systems with the dynamic capabilities of artificial intelligence. Their services range and may include:
The above has been adapted with permission from the Artificial Intelligence guide from the University of Central Florida.
AI in Bethel Library Databases
LibSearch Research Assistant
Research Assistant allows you to explore academic content by asking questions in natural language. The tool uses most of the content found in our library to identify five documents that can help answer your question. It then extracts the most relevant information from the description/abstracts of each source to write the answer. Above the answer, you’ll see the sources used to generate it along with in-line citations that let you clearly see which source was used to generate each part in the answer. Use these sources to delve deeper into the topic and to fact check the responses from the tool.
Get to the Research Assistant through this direct link or by clicking on it from the menu on your LibSearch screen. You'll need to log in as prompted with your Bethel Account in order to use it.
To use filters, such as resource type, date range, or available online, click on the symbol in the search box. Click on About Research Assistant to learn more about it.
EBSCOhost Databases
Natural Language Search
While “find all my search terms” is the default setting, Natural Language may be selected from the Search Options tab.
Generative AI Insights
Full text results display a Generative AI Insights link that offers a brief overview of the text.
JSTOR
JSTOR now offers a Beta AI Research Tool that provides summary information as well as the ability to ask questions about documents, once you click on a full text search result (such as an article or book chapter). You must create a JSTOR account in order to use this feature.
This work is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0
