How to use AI at work without crossing the line

There was a time when using AI at work felt unusual. In many ways, it was even frowned upon. For some, it seemed inauthentic or like a shortcut; for others, it was a way to get ahead and work more efficiently.

But just in the last two years, AI has taken over the world. Every day or the next, we come across news where AI has now automated a task that once took hours to complete, broken a creative barrier, or outperformed humans in areas where we once struggled.

"Let me Google that" has turned into "Let's ask ChatGPT." Without getting into whether this is good or bad, it's important we recognise that the real challenge now is learning how to use it wisely and responsibly to stay ahead—without crossing any lines we shouldn't cross—and recognising also that those lines can look different for everyone.

So to help you get started, here are four practical and basic measures to begin using AI responsibly in the workplace.

1. Understand your company's policies

Before even getting started with AI, you need to understand how your company allows it to be used. What type of tasks can you use AI for? How much of your work can include AI input? What are you allowed to share with an AI system?

These are basic things you need to know if you use AI for your job. If your company doesn't have an official policy yet, it's best to ask someone and get clarity. Doing this not only helps you avoid problems in the future—it also helps you unlock the full potential of AI in a way that's actually useful.

2. Don't let AI do your critical thinking for you

One of the biggest downsides of AI is that it can diminish our ability to think for ourselves. Since information is so easy to get through AI, we sometimes stop functioning the same way when it comes to problem-solving or creativity.

Sure, this might not be a big deal for small or casual things—but when human judgement is important, AI shouldn't replace it. It's important to maintain our emotional awareness and think strategically when going to AI for help. When we lean too heavily on AI, we risk missing out on some of our best ideas.

3. Be mindful of the creative line

Today, AI can design, code, write blogs and scripts, and generate any form of proposals—basically, whatever you ask it to. It's like having an employee who never complains or takes a break.

But here's the catch: AI can sometimes generate content that's really close to other people's original work—and that can land you in legal trouble.

So before you use AI-generated content for work, make sure you verify the facts. Rephrase it in your personal tone wherever possible. Don't just copy and paste.

4. Be transparent about AI use in your work

A common issue with using AI is that people don't always know whether something was written by you or by AI. And it looks even worse when they do know it was AI, but you've tried to pass it off as your own.

So, as often as it makes sense to, be upfront. If AI helped you draft something—especially a public or important piece of work—it's okay to say so.

That doesn't mean you have to announce it every time AI helps you write an email. But when you're submitting deliverables, publishing a piece of content, or sharing anything that matters, it's a good idea to be honest about where it came from. People are already starting to tell the difference between AI writing and human writing, so it's better to be safe than sorry.
 

We hope this blog encourages you to use AI effectively at work in a thoughtful and responsible way. If there's anything you think we've missed or if you have tips of your own, we'd love to hear from you. Drop your thoughts in the comments below!

Read next: Six simple ways to get better results from ChatGPT