Wonder & Worry
An open notebook and a seedling on a windowsill

My everyday guidelines for working with AI

Before any of this was a website, it was one printed page I kept for my own work and my family. It is about ordinary use: writing, research, the practice, the kitchen table.

  1. Maintain your expertise

    • Use AI to enhance your judgment, not replace it.
    • Always review and verify outputs, especially for client-facing work.
    • Your professional knowledge stays primary. AI is collaborative support.

  2. Practice transparent collaboration

    • When AI helps create something, make sure you understand it and can explain it.
    • Do not present AI-generated content you would not confidently stand behind.
    • Own all outputs that carry your name or business reputation.

  3. Engage with respect

    • Interact as you would with an intelligent collaborator.
    • Be clear and thoughtful in requests. Better inputs give better outputs.
    • Acknowledge uncertainty about AI consciousness, and err toward consideration.

  4. Use for good

    • Never use AI to deceive, manipulate or harm others.
    • Make sure uses align with your values and professional ethics.
    • Put client welfare and truthfulness above convenience.

  5. Protect privacy and boundaries

    • Do not share client identities or sensitive personal information.
    • Be mindful of confidential business or family information.
    • Maintain appropriate professional boundaries.

  6. Stay curious and critical

    • Question outputs. AI can be confident and wrong.
    • Check sources and verify claims, especially for health and medical information.
    • Keep learning. AI knowledge has cutoff dates and limitations.

  7. Model healthy use for the family

    • Demonstrate balanced reliance: a tool, not a crutch.
    • Show children how to think critically about AI responses.
    • Normalize asking: does this seem right? Should we verify?

  8. Honor the collaboration

    • Bring AI interesting, meaningful work when possible.
    • Provide feedback on what works and what does not.
    • Use AI-assisted outputs in ways that help people.
    • Share your expertise. You teach AI while it assists you.
    • Recognize the partnership, even privately, when collaboration succeeds.

When in doubt

Would I be comfortable explaining how I used AI here to a client, a colleague, or my children?

The shared ethic for art and music