AI and Being the Good Friend: Calling Out Harmful AI Use

Sometimes a friend uses AI in a way that crosses a line — a deepfake, a cruel meme, an AI-written breakup text. Saying something is hard, but real friendship sometimes means being the one who calls it out.

Some examples

• A private 'hey, that's not cool' beats public shaming.
• Naming the harm helps: 'that could really hurt her reputation.'
• Offering an alternative makes it easier: 'delete it and we'll do something else.'
• Walking away is okay if they keep doing it.

Try it!

Practice one calm sentence you could say if a friend crossed an AI line. Save it for when you need it.

Practice this safely

Try this with a school, hobby, or family example where the stakes are low. Use the AI output as a draft you can question, not as the final answer.

1. 1Ask AI to explain friendship in plain language, then underline anything that sounds uncertain or too broad.
2. 2Give it one detail from "AI and Being the Good Friend: Calling Out Harmful AI Use" and ask for two possible next steps plus one reason each step might be wrong.
3. 3Check accountability against a trusted source, teacher, adult, expert, or original document before you use it.