Is There a Right or Wrong Way to Use AI?

It is obvious I use AI with my content. It has been a game changer for creating content. Rather than spending hours, tediously designing content, I just describe what I want and it is created in minutes. I used to spend hours zooming in on my designs to ensure lines were touching, or that I put something in the correct place. AI has made that so much easier. I spend more time on the quality of the content that users will interact with than the design now. 

AI was a game changer working in Technology as a Project Manager. I was able to use it to help write my project management software so that it automatically ran. I couldn't imagine managing 30+ projects by hand. No thank you! A lot of my work was data driven as well, but I had no API access into the platforms I needed the data from. AI helped me build website scrapers. AI has saved me so many hours in the work field. 

No matter the work field you are in, you will have exposure to AI in some way. It is important to create and implement AI Guidance. I use the term guidance as AI is ever changing, and if we use policy it makes it feel set in stone. I like guidance because it sets the guardrails, but leaves room to continue to adjust it as AI grows. It truly is amazing how many companies allow the use of AI, but don't have current guidance on its use. 

My husband's company recently purchased Microsoft Copilot for all office staff and is encouraging employees to explore how it can be incorporated into their daily work. When I asked what guidance the company had provided regarding appropriate use, he indicated that none had been communicated. I then asked whether the company had addressed issues such as entering customer information into Copilot or protecting proprietary information covered by licensing or manufacturing agreements. He was unsure how those situations should be handled, suggesting that employees may not have received guidance on the responsible use of AI in the workplace.

I worked in Technology for the largest public school district in Indiana. We earned grants to purchase AI platforms for our teachers to use. We were proactive and created AI Guidance, however our guidance focused more on its use in the classroom. It didn't cover teachers using it to analyze class or student data, or even writing IEPs (Individualized Education Plans). Even though the district pays for the use of that platform, do we truly know what the company does with the data that is collected? 

The use of AI will be unique to each user. Ultimately, they are the one to determine how ethically it is used. Youth are only seeing how it can do their work for them, which in the long run will hurt them as they won't be able to do that skill. There's the the group that is completely against AI, as you should be able to do everything yourself like you always have done. Then we have the happy middle. This group is finding ways to use it to improve the functions of their work or lives. Yes, it replaces some mundane tasks, but that leaves them open to do the more attention to detail tasks. Personally, I've used AI to learn new skills to apply at my job. 

Users just need to understand there is a line you don't want to cross with AI, which is what information you give it. Provide AI with information to help you with your work, but don't give it the full details that it can remember forever. You never know where those details will end up out in the cyber world. 

AI is not going away, and avoiding it entirely is unlikely to be a realistic strategy for most organizations. The better approach is to use it intentionally. Employees need clear guidance about approved tools, confidential information, customer data, student and employee records, copyright, human review, and accountability. AI can eliminate repetitive work and create more time for judgment, creativity, and problem-solving—but only when people understand both its capabilities and its limits.

*Interesting Fact: Confabulation is a memory error where a person - or an AI system - creates fabricated, distorted, or misinterpreted stories with out any intent to deceive. The individual or machine genuinely believes the false information is true.