Using Chandra AI to assist in your learning process

Chandra AI is Dataquest's in-app learning assistant. It is different from this help center, which provides account support. Chandra can answer coding and exercise questions, curriculum questions, and even questions about your career. To open a Chandra chat, click on the purple icon at the bottom of your screen.

Code Explanations

Get immediate explanations on code blocks or engage in a context-aware conversation when you have specific questions. Here are some examples:

• See some code you don't understand? Click on the Explain button next to any code on the Dataquest platform to have Chandra explain what it does or point out any errors it may contain.

Exercise Help

• Having trouble with an exercise? Use the explain my code option, and Chandra will examine the instructions, answer, and code to help you identify differences and move toward the right solution.

Navigating the Challenges and Limitations of Chandra

Chandra represents a significant advancement in coding education, but it's important to address and understand its limitations.

Accuracy and Context

Chandra can occasionally generate answers that might not fully capture the nuances of the situation. This can lead to a hallucination, instances where AI generates unrelated or nonsensical responses in the context of the conversation. It's a common challenge in AI systems and is often due to the AI misinterpreting the input or filling in gaps in its knowledge with incorrect or irrelevant information.

Training Data

Chandra was trained on vast amounts of data, but training data has limits. All AI chatbots have a training cutoff date: the latest time the data was collected to train the AI model. Beyond this cutoff date, the AI model is unaware of new events, developments, trends, or updated information. Chandra's training data is so focused on coding that it may struggle to answer non-coding-related questions. If you need help with billing or account issues, you should contact us instead.

Addressing the "AI Elephants" in the Room

Am I cheating if I use an AI coding assistant?

It's an interesting question because many felt the same way when search engines became popular in the early 2000s. Many felt guilty if they had to "look things up" if they couldn't remember the exact syntax or the right way to implement an algorithm. Today, developers use sites like Stack Overflow, GitHub, and many others daily. No one thinks twice about using those resources today; they are just assets developers can rely on so they can focus on more important things. The same is true of AI coding assistants; they are just tools meant to enhance our learning and aren't meant to replace traditional learning methods.

Will AI replace me?

It's natural to feel apprehensive about the future, especially regarding job security and the role of AI. Historically, technological advancements have shifted the nature of jobs rather than eliminating them, often creating new jobs that never existed before. For instance, the rise of computers didn't eliminate the need for mathematicians; it changed the nature of their work. Tools like Chandra are here to augment and enhance human skills, not replace them. While AI will not replace you soon, someone who knows how to leverage AI tools might!

Do I still need critical thinking and problem-solving skills?

Chandra can provide answers and guidance but cannot replicate the human capacity for critical thinking and nuanced problem-solving. You should use Chandra as a starting point and engage in deeper learning and understanding through practice and exploration.

If I have an AI coding assistant, do I still need to learn to code?

Since Chandra (and all AI chatbots) will sometimes hallucinate (or get things wrong), you must be able to evaluate code to ensure its correctness. Chandra is designed to complement traditional learning methods, not replace them. It serves best as a supplementary tool that enhances your understanding and speeds up repetitive tasks rather than replacing your need to learn foundational skills.