In this episode of The Bioinformatics Lab podcast, hosts Kevin and Andrew discuss how bioinformaticians can get started with integrating AI into their workflows.

They begin by recommending signing up for ChatGPT on OpenAI as the very first step. ChatGPT provides a chatbot interface to access the GPT models, allowing users to have conversations and get text responses. Paying for a premium account gives access to GPT-4, the most advanced chatbot model. An alternative free option is Anthropic's Claude.

With access to ChatGPT or Claude, some starter ways bioinformaticians can make use of it are asking it to explain bioinformatics algorithms and concepts at an introductory level, getting summaries of code snippets to understand what they are doing, and assisting with scientific writing like structuring outlines or email drafts. Kevin emphasizes starting with well-defined, widely used algorithms as the chatbot is best with established knowledge versus highly specialized niche topics.

Beyond using it for explanations, ChatGPT can help generate code. Andrew gives the example of using it to determine the best Python libraries for building a certain type of web application with specific requirements. Rather than extensive manual research, ChatGPT provided tailored recommendations on the optimal modern tools to use.

They note that writing effective prompts is key to getting useful responses from the chatbot. Providing context about the goal and domain helps ChatGPT give relevant answers. An iterative approach can refine the prompts and answers. Kevin compares it to conversing with a person and guiding them towards the information you want.

For coding specifically, GitHub Copilot is recommended, which integrates with coding environments like VSCode. It makes AI-generated code suggestions as you are programming. Comments at the top of a code file provide the context for Copilot to suggest relevant code blocks and functions. This automation speeds up development significantly.

In summary, getting started with AI integration into bioinformatics just requires signing up for ChatGPT and GitHub Copilot. Between the natural language conversations of ChatGPT and the coding assistance of Copilot, these tools provide an excellent starter kit to increase efficiency and productivity by leveraging AI.