AI tools for finding up-to-date information

Table of contents

For finding up-to-date information, the best suited applications are various search engines connected with chatbots that utilize natural language processing (NLP) and large language models (LLM). You can ask these applications questions, and they will generate answers based on the information they find.

Since language models can process and analyse a vast amount of text, ideally, you will receive quick and relevant responses to your queries, compiled from various sources and crystallized into the most essential points. With these applications, you can also try to find specific type of information, such as statistics or graphs.

These search engine plus chatbot tools are only as useful and reliable as the sources they retrieve their information from. These applications cannot perform source criticism, nor do they evaluate the accuracy or bias of the information. It is therefore worth paying attention to where and from what kinds of sources search engines look for information. Choose a tool based on the nature of your own question and information needs. For example, if you need information about current media discussion around a specific topic, choose a tool that uses media sources to generate its answers.

GENERAL QUESTIONS AND CURRENT TOPICS

  • If you need answers to fairly general or current questions - those for which answers can be found online in freely available material - it is advisable to choose a combination of a generative chat and a web search engine. Do not ask such questions from AI chat tools that do not have access to online information.
  • From these kinds of tools, you can, for example, request summaries of media discussions, ask questions about meetings and reports of international organizations, or search for statistical data related to your topic. Naturally, when searching for statistical data, it is also worth making use of Statista.

Microsoft Copilot

  • Licensed and recommended by the University of Jyväskylä!
  • Microsoft Copilot is an AI-assisted chatbot that utilizes the Bing search engine and OpenAI’s language model.
  • You can find Copilot, for example, in the right-hand sidebar of the Edge web browser.
  • Make sure you are logged into Microsoft’s services with your JYU credentials, so the information from your conversations with Copilot is stored in the JYU cloud.

How to Use

Ask a question: “What were the main outcomes of COP28 congress in Dubai?” 

Or make a request: “Find statistics on social media usage in Europe.”

  • You can continue the conversation by asking follow-up questions.
  • Check the response and its sources. Typically, Copilot answers questions based on sources like Wikipedia, media outlets, and organisational websites.
  • Save the responses with source links using the Copy function for documentation. Also, write down the date when you had the conversation.

Tip:

Microsoft Copilot also assists in “reading” information you have open in the browser – for example, a research article. You can ask Copilot to create a summary, clarify complex text, or ask questions and request answers based on the article. Note that you must specifically ask and ensure that the answers are indeed based on the article. Copilot may also refuse some requests, citing potential copyright violations.

Other AI chats combined with a web search engine 

In addition to Copilot, many other generative chatbots also retrieve information from the web in real time (when prompted):

SCIENTIFIC QUESTIONS

  • If you need an answer to a question related to scientific research, choose a tool that retrieves information from scientific publications - that is, a combination of a generative chat and a scientific search engine.

Google Scholar Labs

  • Scholar Labs is a free application, but its use requires Google credentials.
  • At present, Scholar Labs operates only in English.
  • Scholar Labs uses the Google Scholar search engine to identify scholarly sources that address the scientific question posed by the user. The search is conducted within abstracts and/or full texts, and the sources may include both articles and books. However, the exact operating principles of Scholar Labs have not been made public.

How to use

Ask a question or questions, for example: How does economic interdependence influence state behaviour in foreign policy decision-making? Does this influence differ when interdependent states are formal allies compared to when they are perceived as strategic rivals or potential security threats?

  • You will receive a list of publications that address the topic of your question(s).
  • Below the bibliographic details, you will find a generated summary explaining how the publication relates to your question and presenting the answer to your question as provided in the publication.
  • It is advisable to review all publications and summaries in the list, as the user’s assessment of which publication is relevant to the question does not always correspond to the AI model’s assessment. Therefore, the most relevant publications may not necessarily appear at the top of the list.
  • You can also ask follow-up questions - for example, by refining the question to a specific context or to publications using a particular methodology. Alternatively, you can first present your main research question and then continue with supporting or follow-up questions.

Consensus

  • Consensus is a freemium application that offers a stripped-down free version in addition to a paid version.
  • Basic search does not require creating a user account. If you do create a user account, please do not use the university email address.
  • Consensus differs from Copilot and Perplexity in that it retrieves answers to your questions from curated scientific sources, mainly from the Semantic Scholar and OpenAlex databases. This means the reliability of the sources has been assessed for you. Nevertheless, you still need to evaluate the quality and relevance of these sources by yourself, as with all scientific sources.

How to Use

Ask a question, for example: “Does forest bathing have any health impacts?”

  • Questions should ideally be of the kind that can be answered with a yes or no. They should also be the type of questions that could be addressed in scientific research.
  • You will receive a summarized answer and a list of scientific articles on which the answer is based.
  • You will also see how often these articles have been cited and symbols indicating whether the source has been published in a reputable journal or cited more frequently than usual.
  • Additionally, you can see details such as the population group studied, research methods, and outcomes (Study Snapshot).

Dimensions Research GPT

  • Dimensions Research GPT is a generative language model you can use within the OpenAI's ChatGPT interface. Using this GPT is free, but the ChatGPT interface requires a user account. Please do not use the university email address.
  • You can also access the GPT following these steps: Navigate to JYKDOK > search for Dimensions and go to the database > open Apps from the side bar on the left > select Dimensions Research GPT.
  • Dimensions Research GPT answers scientific questions and generates responses based on scientific sources catalogued in the Dimensions database. Only open access sources are used for the responses. You need to evaluate the reliability and scientific quality of the sources by yourself.

How to use

Ask a question, seek information, or request scientific sources for your research topic: Give me an overview of recent research literature discussing the impact of different kinds of intervention strategies in geriatric social work. OR: Are there any recent systematic reviews done on coral restoration?

  • Remember to grant the GPT access to Dimensions: "Dimensions Research GPT wants to talk to ai-api.dimensions.ai" > Allow.
  • You will receive a generated response to your question or request, along with links to references in Dimensions. If the response does not include links, it means the GPT generated the answer without retrieving information from Dimensions. In that case, ask the GPT to use Dimensions as the source of its information.
  • The GPT may misinterpret your prompt or generate irrelevant content. However, you can always iterate and continue the conversation. For example, you can refine your prompt or ask for more detailed or accurate information. Additionally, you can request that the answer is only based on specific types of sources, such as original articles, or studies using certain methods, such as randomized controlled trials (RCT) or longitudinal studies.
  • If English is not your first language, you can try chatting also in other languages. 

How to cite:

Open Science Centre (2024), AI in information seeking. Jyväskylä: University of Jyväskylä. Online resource. (Retrieved: dd.mm.yyyy)

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