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-4 (the same large language modal used by ChatGPT Plus, ChatGPT’s paid subscription service), but it’s confidential, secure and free for RMIT students.

Generative AI has been making a splash all over the world and one thing is clear – this new technology is sure to be a big part of our future, both in our careers and our everyday lives. You can use Val to explore this new technology 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

Copy and paste drafts of your writing 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 copy and paste content that you have a strong understanding of into Val and ask it to structure an essay for you. This can be a great way to get started on a draft!

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. Refine your resume and cover letter

You can copy and paste your resume into 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 it 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

3. Get quizzed on content you’re trying to learn

Quizzes can be a great way to get your head around a topic. You can copy and paste content into Val, and ask it to generate some quiz questions to test your knowledge of the information. You can then answer the quiz in Val.

Val can also quiz you on general knowledge and pop culture or create brain teasers and jokes for when you feel like taking a break from your studies.

Val coming up with a quiz about Taylor Swift

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 September 2021, 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

An example of Val's limitations: the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA) is closed until 23 March!

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 which ever 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.

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