Negotiating Reasonable AI Rules With Your Family

The best family AI rules are: specific (not 'use it appropriately'), in writing, signed by both sides, with a review date 60-90 days out so they can be adjusted. You'll get a much better deal if you draft the first version yourself with concrete examples than if you wait for the rules to be handed down.

Some examples

• Specific allowed: 'AI for brainstorming, outlines, fact-checking, code debugging, and tutoring me through a concept I don't understand.'
• Specific not allowed: 'AI writing the final draft of any graded essay; AI doing my math homework without showing the work; AI on quizzes or tests.'
• Disclosure: 'I will tell my teacher whenever AI helped, even if they didn't ask, because their policy might be different.'
• Review: 'We will revisit these rules on [date 90 days out] based on how it's going.'

Try it!

Tonight, write a 1-page draft of your proposed AI use rules — what you'll do, what you won't do, how you'll disclose, and when you'll review. Hand it to your parent and ask 'can we talk about this?' That's the most adult move possible.