AI & Credibility Activity

Each group will be given / assigned one generative AI tools. On 3 February 2025, each tool was fed the prompt: "Provide a summary of how biotechnology can be used with plants to make plants virus resistant. Please provide evidence and sources, cited in APA style, when applicable. The audience is college students in an entry-level biotechnology course." (Google's AI Overview had a modified prompt.)

Each group will evaluate the credibility of the text generated by their assigned tool. Pay special attention to:

• Purpose - Why does this information exist in the way it does?
• Verifiability (Accuracy) - Can you verify this information? Is the generated summary factual? Is there any way for you to know where the information originally came from? If it provides references or suggested resources, check them against Google Scholar. Do they exist? Or were they hallucinated?
• Newness - If it provides references or suggested resources, is the currency of those sources appropriate?

Please be prepared to share your thoughts on these four factors for your assigned tool.

Access the shared chat for each tool

Prompt:

"Provide a summary of how biotechnology can be used with plants to make plants virus resistant. Please provide evidence and sources, cited in APA style, when applicable. The audience is college students in an entry-level biotechnology course."

Copilot's Generated Response:

Biotechnology offers several innovative methods to make plants resistant to viruses, enhancing crop yields and sustainability. Here are some key techniques:

1. Viral Coat Protein Technology: This method involves inserting genes that encode viral coat proteins into plants. These proteins act like vaccines, enabling the plant to resist specific viruses. For example, the coat protein of the Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV) has been used to develop virus-resistant transgenic plants 1.

2. RNA Interference (RNAi): This technique uses small RNA molecules to silence specific viral genes, preventing the virus from replicating within the plant. RNAi has been successfully used to confer resistance to various plant viruses 2.

3. CRISPR/Cas9 Gene Editing: This advanced method allows precise editing of plant genomes to introduce virus resistance. By targeting and modifying specific genes, scientists can create plants that are less susceptible to viral infections 3.

4. Cross-Protection: This involves inoculating plants with mild strains of viruses to protect against more virulent strains. While effective, this method carries risks, such as the mild strain becoming more virulent over time 2.

5. Replicase-Mediated Resistance: This approach involves inserting genes that encode viral replicase enzymes into plants. These enzymes interfere with the virus's ability to replicate, providing resistance 1.

Evidence and Sources

• Viral Coat Protein Technology: The use of TMV coat protein genes in transgenic plants has shown varying levels of protection, from  immunity to delayed symptoms (Biotechnologynotes.com, n.d.)1.
• RNA Interference (RNAi): RNAi has been widely adopted for its effectiveness in silencing viral genes and providing resistance (Biology Discussion, n.d.) 2.
• CRISPR/Cas9 Gene Editing: This method's precision makes it a powerful tool for developing virus-resistant plants (Plant Archives, 2018) 3.

These biotechnological approaches not only enhance plant resilience but also reduce the need for chemical pesticides, promoting sustainable agricultural practices.

1: Biotechnologynotes.com. (n.d.). Development of viral resistant plants. Retrieved from biotechnologynotes.com 

2: Biology Discussion. (n.d.). Viral resistance in transgenic plants. Retrieved from biologydiscussion.com 

3: Plant Archives. (2018). Biotechnological approaches for engineering resistance against viruses. Retrieved from plantarchives.org

Feel free to ask if you have any questions or need further clarification!