Let’s have the talk —
the Tech Talk, that is — about AI.
You had your first email account by the time you could read and have been named the official family IT person, right? (It’s giving tech savvy!)
Even though your grandma basically thought you were a wizard when you showed her how to add emojis to her texts, you may be a little intimidated by the newest tech craze: AI.
It’s time for us to have The Talk — The Tech Talk, that is —
so we can give you the full download on everything you need to know about AI.
Sophia M., 2025
“As scary as it may be, I love AI. It’s such an important time for college students to understand it and its potential.
I use it every day for school — no matter what — to check grammar and to get help on class projects. I also use it to write social media captions, reply to guys' texts, and for professional purposes, like writing emails and boosting my resume.”
Love At First Byte
The Birds, The Bees,
& The Bots
How Often Do You Use AI?
I haven’t used AI (yet!)
Sometimes!
A few times a week, for sure.
Literally always!
Where does AI come from?
We get it — you’re excited about going all the way with AI and exploring the different possibilities! But, let’s take it slow before getting down and dirty with the data.
The AI-ssentials
Microsoft Copilot
Machine Learning
AI Accuracy
Large Language Models
IS EVERYONE ELSE DOING IT?
And *how* are they doing it?
We don’t give into peer pressure in this house (obvi!), but after getting the 411 from seasoned users and learning the creative ways they’ve been using it, we’re feeling ready to soft launch with AI.
Check out everything we’ve CTRL-C’d over from our chat with the Her Campus community.
Rachel C., 2025
“I use AI to help with generating ideas for all different aspects of my life!
[I use it for] projects — like helping to make presentations for class — and for organizing ideas that are hard to put into words myself.
I’ve also used AI to help organize an outline for my writing! I recently did an essay about adolescent development for one of my classes and used AI to help organize my thoughts about the topic into a structure that makes the most sense."
The AI-ssentials
Microsoft Copilot
Machine Learning
AI ACCURACY
Large Language Models
Emma O., 2024
“I’ve used AI for a wide range of things, from professional and educational uses like writing short prompts and a guide for sentence structure, to personal uses like trip planning!
When I went to Greece I used AI to create an entire itinerary for me, from restaurants to eat at to places to stay!”
Frankie K., 2024
“I mostly use AI for classwork that requires it!
For example, in my visual communications class, I used AI to generate images and videos to make a movie trailer and
a title sequence.
I also used it in my digital communications class to generate images of new products and advertisement ideas for them.”
Natalie C., 2024
“I’ve used AI tools to help me organize
my resume, and write better
job descriptions!
I’ve previously struggled with condensing my writing while still maintaining impactful language about my career experiences, so AI has definitely helped me with keeping my descriptions short but still highlighting the most important keywords!
I’ve also used AI to help create study guides and essay outlines.”
We’ve all heard the term “AI” being thrown about — but what is it exactly?
AI stands for artificial intelligence, which is basically a super smart computer system that can make predictions based on information it's reviewed and processed.
And, while it can’t do things like cook you a romantic dinner, it *can* provide you with a delish recipe idea extremely quickly…like, within seconds. These computer programs use a set of instructions to automate tasks
that typically require human
intelligence and time.
If you have a BSF who always helps you with dating advice, then understanding what Copilot is will be pretty easy.
Microsoft Copilot is like a personal assistant that works alongside you (like your bestie!) and helps you make decisions and understand data.
Copilots use something called Generative AI to comprehend natural human language, provide answers, create content (like pics, music, codes, and more!), and take action as you work within different computer programs.
You know how when you study, you try to memorize *all* the info to help you for future exams?
That’s kind of what machine learning is.
Using data, algorithms, and feedback, the computer system is taught to become an expert on different subjects by being trained to identify patterns and make predictions based on them.
So, recommending movies based on what you’re streaming? That’s ML.
Whatever language you’re studying, there’s one thing every language student has in common: you don’t just learn the words, you also mimic how your teacher says them.
Large language models (LLMs) learn similarly! LLMs use machine learning techniques to help them process language to mimic how humans communicate. It’s trained on a massive amount of text to learn patterns and relationships in language that
help them use human words, help them problem-solve, and help them sound
more conversational.
With these skills and capabilities, it can answer questions, summarize text, and write creatively — just like a human would!
Ever had a crush and thought they *totally* liked you back, only to find out they just want to be friends?
Well, AI can sometimes get it wrong, too, if it isn’t given proper sources and data, which causes the systems to output inaccurate responses
known as hallucinations.
To help solve this problem, developers provide the AI system with additional info from a trusted source to improve the accuracy of the topic.
PRACTICING SAFE AI
Are you ready to be AI-active?
Before you click around mindlessly, you should brush up on your responsible AI knowledge to stay safe online.
Mehrnoosh Sameki, the Responsible AI and AI Evaluation Tools Lead at Microsoft, shared her best tips about trusting AI and using it safely.
“Responsible AI refers to the development and use of artificial intelligence in a way that is ethical, fair, and transparent,” she said, explaining that Microsoft is leading the charge in responsible AI.
“We’ve developed the Microsoft Responsible AI standard, a set of ethical guidelines that ensure AI behaves in a way that's fair, safe, and respectful to all.”
PAUSE
You probably spend hours thinking of a caption to write on the selfie you want to post, and Mehrnoosh says to treat AI usage the same way.
So, just like you’re careful about what you post on social media, you should do the same when using AI.”
CHOOSE WISELY
Sometimes you want to keep
your personal info, personal.
“Look for AI tools, like Microsoft Copilot, that are transparent about their data practices,” Mehrnoosh said.
“Understand what data is being collected, how it's being used, and whether you have control over your data.”
STAY INformed
Anyone else notorious for whizzing through the T’s & C’s before using an app or making a profile on a new social platform?
Mehrnoosh reminds us to be mindful of the data we provide and to always review privacy policies to understand how our information will be used and shared.
By educating yourself about AI with The Tech Talk, you’re already one step ahead of everyone else. But, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you should stop learning about AI —- and the AI systems you’re using. Luckily, we know just the place for you to keep learning about Microsoft AI.
GOING
STEADY WITH AI
Read this before you use AI in school!
Even though *you* might know that you would use AI responsibly, your professors may not totally be on board. (TBH, they might even need to have The Tech Talk!)
As much as that might bug you, it’s safest to get their consent before you use AI for a class project — even if it’s something simple like browser plugins. Here are some common ways to use
AI for educational purposes and tips on how to ask your professors for the green light.
Step 1: The Why
Establish if you want to use AI because it’ll help, or because you’re feeling unmotivated.
If you know that your use of AI will help you in your school assignment — like using a grammar checker or helping organize your research notes — that’s a great reason to ask your professor for permission to use it.
But, if you secretly want it to do the work for you rather than to enhance your work, it’s best to avoid using it and reconsider how it might help you in other ways.
Step 2: The What
Figure out what you
would use AI for.
Before you reach out to your prof, organize your thoughts. Will you take advantage of the quick-searching function of AI bots to find relevant academic papers, articles, and research materials?
Or are you considering using it to create a schedule for your group project? Once you know what you’ll be using it for, it’ll be easier to talk to your professor.
Step 3: The How
How will your work
benefit from using AI?
After establishing the why and the what, it’s time to think about the how — which is arguably the most important part.
Maybe you’ll use AI to generate a study guide from your notes, or perhaps you’ll use it to narrow down a starting point for a research project.
No matter what, you should always be clear about how you want to use it so there’s no misunderstanding when you submit your assignment.
Step 4: The When
This will help determine when you should be using AI.
Personalized Learning:
Help you better understand a subject or make a study guide. Data and Research:
Find the best sources, analyze data, summarize articles, data, and books, and help write citations. Writing:
Grammar and spell check, proofreading, and providing feedback on writing. Organization:
Time management, prioritizing tasks, managing your schedule, and
cleaning up notes.
You can always use AI in school, for every assignment and project!
Answer: False
Even though AI and generative AI tools are helpful assistants because they follow your commands and perform tasks well, it’s up to you to always double-check the information.
“AI is not perfect,” Paige said, explaining that AI can do a lot of things well, but can also make mistakes, so you should make fact-checking a habit. “Don’t automatically trust AI-generated information, and always verify your sources.”
Paige explained that there are sometimes
biases in AI usage, which is another reason why you should always be responsible when using it. “AI tools can sometimes reflect societal bias in their responses, so review the outputs with a critical eye and be proactive by adjusting the prompts as necessary.”
Answer: TRUE
Students are exploring all of the tools that AI has to offer and are using it to help them
succeed in school!
Paige shared that students are most commonly using AI tools for things like summarizing information, brainstorming ideas for their assignments, finding answers and information quickly, and getting feedback on their work.
“AI can also help students learn and study in the way that works for them, boost their creativity and make projects more visually appealing, or support them for everyday use outside of school,” she said.
Answer: FALSE
It’s always a good idea to get your professor's permission before using AI.
“AI dos and don’ts may be defined differently depending on your school, professor, or even assignment,” Paige said. “We recommend reviewing your school’s policies and communicating with your professors to make sure you can feel confident in your use of AI.”
NEXT »
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AI-generated information is 100% correct.
QUESTION THREE
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FALSE
AI IQ
Paige Johnson, the VP of Education at Microsoft, wants to make sure that you’ve aced AI before using it in school — and to do that, we’ve got a pop quiz to test your AI IQ.
Students are using AI often in many different ways, from learning and studying to finding the best information online for research
— and so much more!
QUESTION TWO
QUESTION ONE
TRUE
FALSE
TRUE
FALSE
You’ve learned the terms, got the inspo, and know how to use AI safely — both on and off campus. Yep, you’re officially AI-educated. Head to Microsoft.com to learn more!
Editors: Emily Murphy & Kenzie Kramer Designer: Addie Abujade
This is a sponsored feature. All opinions are 100% our own.
© Her Campus 2024.
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FALSE
TRUE
FALSE
TRUE
FALSE
The Birds, The Bees,
& The Bots
The Birds, The Bees,
& The Bots
The Birds, The Bees,
& The Bots
The Bees,
The Birds,
& The Bots
Check out Mehrnoosh’s top advice
for practicing safe AI:
Literally always!
A few times a week, for sure.
Sometimes!
I haven’t used AI (yet!)
The AI-ssentials
Microsoft Copilot
Machine Learning
AI Accuracy
Large Language Models