If AI Helped You, Say So

If a friend helped you with a project, you'd thank them. AI is a tool, but it's still honest to mention when AI helped you write, draw, or plan something.

Some examples

• 'AI helped me brainstorm ideas, then I picked my favorite.'
• 'I wrote the story; AI helped me check spelling.'
• 'The picture is by AI; I picked the colors.'
• 'AI helped me start, then I made it my own.'

Try it!

Next time AI helps you with something, write one sentence at the bottom telling how it helped.

Specific ways to give credit in different situations

Crediting AI doesn't have to be complicated — it just has to be honest. In school assignments, a one-sentence process note at the bottom is usually enough: 'I used AI to help me brainstorm ideas for this essay. I wrote all the paragraphs myself.' For creative projects shared online, a brief note in the caption or description: 'Created with AI assistance.' For presentations, a 'Tools used' slide at the end. The reason this matters beyond honesty is that it protects you. If you never disclose AI use and someone later discovers it, the silence looks like deliberate deception. If you always disclose, the worst case is that someone questions how much of the work is yours — a conversation you can have. Selective hiding is always the riskier choice. Crediting AI also opens useful conversations about how AI actually works, which most people find genuinely interesting — you might end up teaching the people you're sharing with.

• School assignments: a process sentence at the bottom explaining what AI helped with
• Creative projects online: 'created with AI assistance' in the description
• Presentations: a 'Tools Used' slide at the end
• Conversations: be ready to explain specifically what AI helped with if asked