Lesson 525 of 1455
The 'Would This Help or Hurt' Test for AI Use
Before using AI for something tricky, ask: would this help or hurt the people involved? It is a simple test that catches a lot.
Builders · Ethics & Society · ~4 min read
The big idea
Most AI ethics situations come down to: who does this help, who does this hurt? If the answer is 'mostly hurts someone,' that's a red flag.
Some examples
- AI to help me study = helps me, hurts no one. ✓
- AI to help me write a sincere apology = helps both = ✓
- AI to make a fake image of a classmate = hurts them. ✗
- AI to write fake reviews to hurt a competitor = hurts them. ✗
Try it!
Think of an AI use you are considering. Run the test. Notice how clear the answer often is.
Key terms in this lesson
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.
- 1Ask AI to explain ethical thinking in plain language, then underline anything that sounds uncertain or too broad.
- 2Give it one detail from "The 'Would This Help or Hurt' Test for AI Use" and ask for two possible next steps plus one reason each step might be wrong.
- 3Check consequences against a trusted source, teacher, adult, expert, or original document before you use it.
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.
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