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Basics of Information Search

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Artificial intelligence in information search

The number of AI tools is growing all the time. AI can help you for example edit text when you need help structuring a topic or creating an image.

There are many AI-enabled information search tools, and more are being developed all the time. Some are not very different from traditional database search from the user's point of view.

Keenious

Keenious Plus is on trial use at Metropolia during 2025.

Keenious finds scientific articles, for example by using an article you have already found. So if you have found a really good article on a topic, you can enter it into Keenious and it will recommend similar articles for you!

Download add-in for Word or Google docs, and Keenious will suggest articles based on your text.

Login with Microsoft ID or Metropolia email address.

Generative AI

The most common AIs are so-called generative AIs, or writing assistants, such as Copilot and ChatGPT.

Using AI makes sense when you want to learn more about something new. Try asking Copilot the next time you come across a new concept.

Brainstorming for keywords

ChatGPT or Copilot can help you come up with keywords. 

As an example, we asked Chat GPT and Copilot for advice on how to come up with keywords for "cognitive ergonomy". Copilot gave us the following list of words:

  • cognitive ergonomics
  • mental processes
  • perception
  • memory
  • reasoning
  • motor response

From Chat GPT we received the following list of words:

  • Cognitive ergonomics
  • Ergonomics and cognition
  • Cognitive load
  • Cognitive performance
  • Cognitive constraints
  • Work ergonomics and cognition
  • Applying cognitive ergonomics
  • Ergonomic factors and cognition
  • Work design and cognitive ergonomics
  • Impact of cognitive ergonomics on job tasks

It is worth noting that AI only provides hints, the answers are not always consistent or comprehensive. AI can also make mistakes.

AI does not know how to make a search phrase 

AI struggles with creating correctly constructed search phrases. It may be able to construct a simple search phrase, but it tends to fail in more complex ones.

Hallucination, i.e. made-up stories

Generative AIs are notorious for making up things that are not true. If you're thinking of asking an AI to write something for you, you should bear in mind that you can't fully trust the text it produces. It is also common for AI to hallucinate sources, i.e. to add sources that do not exist  to the text.

Metropolia's official AI writing assistant tool is Copilot. Use it by logging in with your Metropolia account.

You can also test other AI tools. Please remember that you cannot use your Metropolia email address to register for the services. We recommend that you read the privacy policy of the services before testing them.

Here are a few we find interesting.

More AI tools

Texas Tech University has created a long and comprehensive list of different AI tools. Go ahead and test!

 

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