Demonstrating AI as Collaborator for Undergrad Thesis Advising: Working with Generative AI to Enhance the Research Process

Although ChatGPT was released to the public less than a year ago, such generative AI is already disrupting education. Educators are tasked with helping students use it responsibly. This paper explores using ChatGPT to advise undergraduates writing a thesis in English or Japanese. Although AI has limitations, it can also effectively engage students when applied deliberately. I share experiences incorporating ChatGPT for thesis advising at a Japanese university. I show my students how to use AI to summarize texts, analyze quotes, improve drafts, and ask questions without judgment. The conversational nature of ChatGPT prompted more time on task, comprehension, and agency in learning. Included are some failures of generative AI. And the paper provides tips for helping students to overcome these failures. While not a panacea, AI as a collaborative tool strengthened the thesis writing process. This demonstrates one potential for AI to enhance human teaching and learning, not replace it. More research is needed, but preliminary findings suggest promising futures for AI as a collaborator in higher education.