Welcome to the TTC AI News Blog (for TTC Faculty/Staff)!
Jessica Cerny, MLS, MBA
(image generated using Gemini.ai)
(from tomsguide.com)
"ChatGPT continues to be an impressive go-to chatbot for everything from quick questions to long-form summaries. Since the launch of ChatGPT-5.1, I’ve been testing OpenAI’s smartest model against Gemini 3.0 — Google’s newest system now topping the LMArena Leaderboard.
But here’s the interesting part: while Gemini 3.0 sits at the top, Grok 4.1, not ChatGPT, has climbed right behind it in a surprisingly close second.
For that reason, I couldn't wait to see how ChatGPT-5.1 compares to Grok 4.1. The following is a result of a nine-round faceoff between the two popular chatbots. What I noticed first was that both models are exceptionally capable, but they shine in very different ways, and the differences say a lot about how each approaches reasoning, communication and personality. Here's a look at what happened with each when queried with nine challenging tests."
Read More
I just tested ChatGPT-5.1 vs. Grok 4.1 with 9 prompts — and there's a clear winner
Jessica Cerny, MLS, MBA
(from NPR)
This is a podcast. Listen to the recording and/or read the transcript.
"Across the country, colleges and universities are struggling to figure out how to incorporate AI into the classroom. ChatGPT debuted almost exactly three years ago. And very quickly, students began to see its potential as a study buddy, an immense research tool and, for some, a way to cheat the system.
This week on The Sunday Story we look at the rapid growth of AI in higher ed and consider what it means for the future of teaching and learning."
Listen & Read
Jessica Cerny, MLS, MBA
(from Google Blog)
"And now we’re introducing Gemini 3, our most intelligent model, that combines all of Gemini’s capabilities together so you can bring any idea to life.
It’s state-of-the-art in reasoning, built to grasp depth and nuance — whether it’s perceiving the subtle clues in a creative idea, or peeling apart the overlapping layers of a difficult problem. Gemini 3 is also much better at figuring out the context and intent behind your request, so you get what you need with less prompting. It’s amazing to think that in just two years, AI has evolved from simply reading text and images to reading the room."
Read More
Jessica Cerny, MLS, MBA
(excerpt from Google)
“Simply put, NotebookLM is a tool for understanding things,” Steven says. Think of it as your virtual note-taking and research assistant: NotebookLM takes information, digests and analyzes it so that you can glean more from it. It’s designed for that “deeper dive” you may need to take into a topic — or multiple topics at once.”
Read More
Jessica Cerny, MLS, MBA
Explore and use AI information and detection strategies from the resources listed below. Many of the experts mention that unreliable detection tools are being utilized and provide tips on how to possibly detect AI usage.
These are just a few of the many resources available:
Pace University – “Faculty Guide to Generative AI”
Texas Tech University – “Artificial Intelligence Tools for Detection, Research and Writing”
Montclair State University – “AI Writing Detection: Red Flags”
Because there is merit in knowing how students are trying to beat the detection… here is an article about that topic.
How to Make AI Text Undetectable in 2025?
Jessica Cerny, MLS, MBA
(Picture & summary created in Gemini.ai)
Goblin Tools is a collection of small, simple, AI-powered tools designed to help people manage tasks that feel overwhelming or complicated.
Its main tools include:
- Magic ToDo: Breaks down complex to-do items into smaller, manageable steps.
- Formalizer: Transforms text to adjust its tone or formality.
- Judge: Analyzes a piece of text to identify its emotional tone.
- Professor: Explains a concept or topic in simple terms.
- Estimator: Guesses the approximate time needed to complete an activity.
- Compiler: Turns a "braindump" of thoughts into a structured list of actions.
Chef: Generates a recipe based on ingredients you provide.
Checkout this online tool:
Jessica Cerny, MLS, MBA
(from Techcrunch.com)
“OpenAI announced Tuesday the launch of its AI-powered browser, ChatGPT Atlas, a major step in the company’s quest to unseat Google as the main way people find information online.
The company says Atlas will first roll out on macOS, with support for Windows, iOS, and Android coming soon. OpenAI says the product will be available to all free users at launch.
Browsers have quickly become the AI industry’s next battleground. While Google Chrome has long dominated the space, there’s a sense that AI chatbots and agents are fundamentally changing how people get work done online. A handful of startups have tried to capture this by launching AI-powered browsers of their own, such as Perplexity’s Comet and The Browser Company’s Dia. Google and Microsoft have also tried to update Chrome and Edge, respectively, with AI-powered features to make their legacy products stand out.”
Read More
Jessica Cerny, MLS, MBA
(from Microsoft.com)
“Discover ways to craft effective and contextual prompts for Microsoft 365 Copilot that create, simplify, transform, and compile content across Microsoft 365 applications. Learn the importance of providing a clear goal, context, source, and expectation in your prompt for the best results. This course covers real world scenarios and examples using Copilot in Microsoft 365 apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, Outlook, OneNote, and Chat.”
Take the Free Course:
Jessica Cerny, MLS, MBA
(image generated using Gemini.ai)
(Two NPR Articles)
“More college students are using AI chatbots to help them with their studies. But data recently released by an AI company shows they're aren't the only ones using the technology.”
Read more:
More college students are using AI for class. Their professors aren't far behind
----------------------------------------
"When Georgia State University professor G. Sue Kasun taught a new course this summer, she used generative artificial intelligence to help her brainstorm.
Kasun, a professor of language, culture and education, teaches current and future language educators. And she used Gemini — Google's generative AI chatbot — to come up with ideas for readings and activities for a course on integrating identity and culture in language education."
Read More:
Research, curriculum and grading: new data sheds light on how professors are using AI
Jessica Cerny, MLS, MBA
[Article from Tom's Guide]
"Nano Banana, also known as Gemini 2.5 Flash, is making waves with viral trends. But it’s useful for so much more than turning kids’ art into lifelike creatures or putting yourself on the cover of your favorite magazine. Obviously, I’m obsessed and have been testing it ever since it launched.
As someone who is terrible at Photoshop, I’ve been using this multimodal AI from Google’s DeepMind to enhance new and old photos alike. I've found it surprisingly useful, and I've learned a few tricks to help it work for you."
Read More