Five ways to get the most out of Val, RMIT’s AI chatbot

How can generative AI help you? We’ve put together five ways you can use Val, RMIT’s official GenAI Chatbot, to improve your studies and your life.

What can Val do for you? Val is RMIT’s official generative AI chatbot. It’s powered by GPT-4o (the same large language modal used by ChatGPT Plus, ChatGPT’s paid subscription service), but it’s confidential, secure and free for RMIT students.

As of July 2024, Val is powered by GPT-4o and has a few new features. Val can now:

Access internet data up to October 2023 – previously Val only had access to internet data prior to September 2021

Process large PDF documents (book, papers, etc) – use the paperclip icon in Val’s chat bar to upload PDF documents then ask Val to summarise or answer questions about the information, compare documents and more (see the tips below for more information)

Respond 4 times faster to your prompts than its previous model and handle much more complex and sophisticated questions

You can use Val to explore AI in a safe and private way, without having to spend USD $20 on a ChatGPT subscription!

Here are five ways that you can use Val in your studies and in your life!

1. Get advice to improve your writing

Upload drafts of your writing as a PDF into Val and ask for feedback on structure, clarity and tone. You can specify what your writing is trying to achieve, who your audience is and the tone you want to convey.

This can be helpful when drafting an essay, or even writing an email to your landlord to make sure you say exactly what you want to say.

You can also upload your study notes to Val and ask it to structure an essay for you based on your work. This can be a great way to get started on a draft!

If you’ve already written an assessment, you can upload your drafted assessment and a copy of the rubric to Val (make sure both are in PDF format) and ask Val to check that your assessment meets all the requirements listed in the rubric.

Remember: Before you use Val on your assessment, check your course guide and any assessment instructions from your lecturer to see whether Val or any other generative AI tools can be used! You should also look at the RMIT Artificial Intelligence Referencing Guidelines to learn how to reference any content Val generates.

Val giving feedback on a section of writing

2. Summarise or test your knowledge of readings and study notes

Studying for a test? Val can help you revise! You can upload class readings or your own study notes to Val, just make sure they’re in PDF format.

Val can summarise the information in your readings or notes, pull out definitions or even quiz you on the content. You can also engage in a conversation about your readings or notes with Val, to check you understand the information.

text from val sharing 10 quiz questions based on a class reading

3. Refine your resume and cover letter

You can upload your resume to Val and get feedback on the structure, how you’re describing your achievements and what language might impress employers.

You can also give Val your cover letter and the key selection criteria of a job you want to apply for and ask Val to compare the two, pointing out what criteria you’ve covered and which ones you need to work on.

Remember: You must apply your own critical thinking to any content Val suggests. Make sure you check over your cover letter and resume carefully before submitting it to a potential employer!

Val providing a structure for a resume cover letter

4. Discover places in Melbourne

If you’re looking for some great places to visit in Melbourne – ask Val! Val can suggest popular attractions, free activities, and some of Melbourne’s hidden gems. You can specify the kind of things you’re interested in, like art galleries, sporting events or restaurants.

Remember: Val can only access internet data up to October 2023, so you need to cross check any results before deciding to hit up any suggested activities.

Val giving recommendation of galleries and art related activities in Melbourne

5. Whip up recipe ideas

Stuck for what to cook for dinner? Let Val know what you have in the fridge, and it can suggest a dish to make based on those ingredients. It can then create a recipe for whichever option sounds the tastiest!

Start using Val

More information

Enrol in the self-paced Generative AI for students at RMIT module to find even more examples of the best ways to use AI. The module will also show you how to use Val within RMIT policies and academic integrity requirements.

04 September 2024

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Five ways to get the most out of Val, RMIT’s AI chatbot