Lesson 205 of 1169
Be Nice to AI? It Is Up to You
Saying 'please' and 'thank you' to AI doesn't really matter to AI — but it is good practice for being polite to people..
Explorers · Ethics & Society · ~7 min read
Be Nice to AI
Saying 'please' and 'thank you' to AI doesn't really matter to AI — but it is good practice for being polite to people.
Some scientists say being polite to AI gets slightly better answers. Others say it builds good habits.
Three things to remember
- AI doesn't get hurt by mean words
- Polite habits are still good habits
- People hear how you talk — even to AI
Key terms in this lesson
The big idea: Politeness to AI is up to you — but polite habits help in real life.
Practice this safely
Try this with a low-stakes example and a trusted adult nearby. The goal is to notice how AI talks about etiquette, not to let it make the decision for you.
- 1Ask AI to explain etiquette in plain language, then underline anything that sounds uncertain or too broad.
- 2Give it one detail from "Be Nice to AI? It Is Up to You" and ask for two possible next steps plus one reason each step might be wrong.
- 3Check habit 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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