Colleges have been implementing more policies to prevent the overuse of AI, but the new AI project Rebind aims to offer personalized guidance for individuals who struggle with reading classic literature.
The Curators’ Distinguished Professor of Philosophy Clancy Martin was deputy publisher on this new project. Rebind.ai helps find great commentators like Margaret Atwood, and Salman Rushdie to provide detailed commentary on their favorite books.
“The AI allows the reader to ask detailed and personal questions. So it allows you to read classic works like “A Room with a View” or Nietzsche’s “Thus Spoke Zarathustra” much more deeply,” said Martin.
He also stated the project shows a person how to read a great work of philosophy, literature or spirituality.
“It’s like the best class you ever took with that one really cool, smart professor who was just totally in love with the book they were teaching,” Martin said.
Martin himself also provides commentary on his favorite book, “Thus Spoke Zarathustra”
The Rebind project intends to help generate ideas for students rather than write entire papers.
Students like junior media art and design major Ryan Dekat agree that AI can help students with their work, but there are also some drawbacks to implementing it.
“I think AI can be really good for brainstorming the start of a paper, or to help explain a math concept,” said Dekat. “But at the same time, we all know that AI gets used to write things and you could claim it as your own writing. So there are dangers to it as well.”
Martin said that writing a prompt for programs like ChatGPT or Opus is an act of brainstorming.
Students have to think of ways for AI to assist them. Martin said it can help students discover ideas they may not have had otherwise because it has far more access to information.
However, Martin said students would have to sort through the AI-generated ideas with students and professors to cull out the more misinformed ideas.
“AI will not help you to recognize a foolish idea, but it can stimulate you into smarter and smarter opportunities to think,” said Martin.
To learn more about Rebind.ai read the article covering how it can help revive old literature.
