Lesson 584 of 1455
Think About Future You Before Doing Anything With AI
Before doing something risky with AI, ask: would 25-year-old me be proud of this? Saves you from real regret.
Builders · Ethics & Society · ~4 min read
The big idea
Internet stuff lasts. Things you do at 13 might be findable at 25. Future you is watching. The 'would future me approve' test catches a lot of bad AI uses.
Some examples
- Making fake photos of classmates: future you = embarrassed.
- Building cool AI projects to share: future you = proud.
- Using AI dishonestly on schoolwork: future you = embarrassed and possibly in trouble.
- Helping family with AI: future you = proud.
Try it!
Understanding "Think About Future You Before Doing Anything With AI" in practice: Understanding AI in this area gives you a real advantage in how you work and think. Before doing something risky with AI, ask: would 25-year-old me be proud of this? Saves you from real regret — and knowing how to apply this gives you a concrete advantage.
- Apply future thinking in your ethics workflow to get better results
- Apply regret in your ethics workflow to get better results
- Apply ethics in your ethics workflow to get better results
- 1Apply Think About Future You Before Doing Anything With AI in a live project this week
- 2Write a short summary of what you'd do differently after learning this
- 3Share one insight with a colleague
Key terms in this lesson
End-of-lesson quiz
Check what stuck
8 questions · Score saves to your progress.
Lesson help
Questions are best handled with a grown-up here.
For this age range, Tendril keeps freeform AI chat paused until parent/guardian consent and child-safe moderation are fully verified. Use the quiz, notes, and related lessons below, or ask a parent, guardian, teacher, or librarian to work through the question with you.
Progress saved locally in this browser. Sign in to sync across devices.
Related lessons
Keep going
Builders · 7 min
AI, Authenticity, and Why Online Honesty Matters
AI lets you be anyone online — different name, different face, different voice. But the ethical question is: should you?
Builders · 7 min
Consent and AI: Always Ask Before Using Others' Stuff
Before using AI on someone else's photo, voice, or work — ASK. Consent matters more in the AI era, not less.
Creators · 11 min
Developing a Personal AI Use Policy
A personal AI policy clarifies how you use AI ethically across contexts. Worth developing thoughtfully.