Emma Chen (Brown '27), Sophia Li (Brown '27), Katerina Nguyen (Brown '27), Annie Wang (MIT '27). Submitted to Hack@Brown 2024.
Skeleton code from MIT Web Lab.
ReactJS, CSS, Javascript, Express.js, MongoDB, OpenAI
After recognizing the enduring popularity of AI tools like ChatGPT, we felt inspired to contribute our own ideas by generating another proactive approach to learning. As students, we are particularly aware of how much AI technology has improved our lives. We couldn't help but explore the possibility of creating something even better and more efficient than the tools available today. Instead of simply copying and pasting AI-generated text, we aimed to find a way that allows users to actively engage in the learning process. Just as other technologies have inspired us, we hope that blank[space] will become a project looked upon favorably by people from all walks of life.
When users first open our webpage, they are directed to our home page where they can log in with their Google accounts, enabling them to maintain an account and access previous projects. After logging in, users are directed to a page requesting the title of the paper they want to write, along with a question about the paper's topic. This process helps the AI software understand the context behind the paper, leading to more accurate autocompletion. Upon pressing "Enter," users are directed to the AI auto-completing editor. As users enter text into the textbox, their sentences autocorrect with the assistance of the background context gathered on the previous page. This enhances efficiency and speeds up the coding process.
The first step we performed was planning out what kind of project we wanted, how we wanted it to look, and what specific steps we would take to implement this. Regarding the frontend programming and user interface, we used HTML and CSS in order to display our webpage. We utilized VS Code as our code editor and GitHub to store and manage our files.
Throughout the project, our team worked on various aspects, encountering challenges during the GitHub merging process. As backend-focused programmers, we pushed ourselves to delve into frontend programming, tackling languages like HTML and CSS. Adapting to new syntax and learning unfamiliar languages became essential tasks. The design phase involved significant trial and error, with continuous adjustments made to ensure the design's extensibility and maintainability. Lastly, the time constraints proved demanding, leading us to work through the night to ensure the project worked seamlessly and compiled correctly across all our laptops.
Instead of opting for a project idea with which we were familiar and comfortable, we approached this hackathon with an open mind and eagerness to learn and grow. We chose to step into the vast realm of artificial intelligence and web development. Our goal was to challenge ourselves, and we consistently motivated each other to persevere and grow, both as individuals and as coders. The majority of our team had never participated in a hackathon before, making this event a completely novel experience for us. We take pride in the dedication we invested, committing our entire day and more to work on and execute this project. We stayed up until the project was fully functional, showcasing our perseverance in applying a unique theme and structure to our webpage that aligns with the space theme of this year's hackathon.
Since most of us did not have much experience coding as a team, we learned much about the ways of using GitHub collaboratively. In addition, this project exposed us to many new languages, as we were placed in an environment where we had to swiftly learn different syntaxes and adapt to a variety of implementations.
Soon, we will be deploying our project using the "blankspace.tech" domain we acquired. Overall, we hope to broaden the scope of our project on a larger scale. We envision our webpage reaching the heights of other successful apps such as ChatGPT and Grammarly. With the world ever-progressing and becoming more accepting of artificial intelligence and its benefits, we see our project as a very advantageous tool for all ages. We envision that our project will transform the use of AI in education systems for the better, pioneering how AI can enhance the efficacy and quality of education.