We may earn a commission from links on this page. This post is part of Lifehacker's "Living With AI" series: We explore the current state of AI, discuss its practical applications (and limitations), and assess its future direction. Read more here. Shortly after the introduction of ChatGPT last year, discussions on its usage erupted. Is it ethical to employ generative AI in the workplace?Does it constitute "cheating?" Or are we witnessing a major technological advancement that demands either acceptance or being left behind?AI, like any other tool, primarily serves to enhance productivity. From a personal standpoint, my job would be impossible without my computer. Hence, there is theoretically nothing wrong with utilizing AI to boost productivity. In fact, AI is already being integrated into work applications. Take Microsoft, for example, a company that has become synonymous with "work computing. " They are integrating AI capabilities directly into their products. Soon, the entire Microsoft 365 suite, including Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Teams, and more, will feature "Copilot, " an AI assisting tool. Think of it as an improved version of Clippy. With Copilot, you can request the AI to draft an update to your team based on your new strategy by pulling information from meetings, emails, and other work data. In Word, you can ask the AI to draft a work proposal using other documents and revise specific paragraphs. In Excel, you can rely on Copilot to model your data in ways beyond your expertise. In PowerPoint, you can request a complete slideshow based on a Word document. Google has also introduced similar tools, called Duet AI, in its Workspace suite. You may be familiar with Google's auto-complete feature, where the AI suggests words and phrases in Docs and Gmail. Duet AI functions similarly, providing assistance based on prompts within Google Docs. These tools are not mere concepts; they are being actively developed by the companies behind our work products, with their use being encouraged. Microsoft's advertising of Excel in 1990 comes to mind: Excel was portrayed as a tool that allows the creation of a working presentation during an elevator ride. This was not considered "cheating, " but simply an innovative way to work. Using AI intelligently is no different. Much like how Excel in 1990 extrapolated data into cells, Excel in 2023 will now answer data-related questions and execute commands in natural language. It's a tool. While many of these AI-powered tools are still in development, ChatGPT is already available. It has sparked discussions surrounding "AI at work" (as well as in schools), making it a topic worth considering.

In summary, when used appropriately, generative AI tools like ChatGPT can certainly enhance your work without crossing ethical boundaries. It is similar to employing Microsoft's Business Chat or Google's Duet AI to summarize long articles, assess email tones, or boost vocabulary. While the free version of ChatGPT operates within a closed internet database, ChatGPT Plus has access to the web. This allows you to ask ChatGPT questions and prompt it to perform tasks while connected to the internet. Bing Chat and Google Bard offer AI-powered web browsing as their default settings. Utilizing these services during work-related research can uncover information that may otherwise go unnoticed. However, there is an ethical line that should not be crossed. Tools can be misused for cheating, such as using the internet to hire someone else for your job and passing off their work as your own. Similarly, asking ChatGPT to complete your entire job would fall into the same category. It is crucial to consider your company's guidelines regarding the use of AI and external technology. Your organization may have already established rules allowing the reasonable use of AI tools. If so, great!However, if your company prohibits the use of AI for any work-related purpose, it is best to refrain from using ChatGPT during business hours. Realistically, your company is unlikely to know whether or not you are using AI tools if used responsibly. The bigger concern lies in privacy and confidentiality, issues that are often overlooked when utilizing AI. In brief, generative AI tools like ChatGPT rely on extensive data sets for training. But AI is far from flawless, and it improves as it receives more data. ChatGPT learns from every prompt it receives. When seeking assistance from ChatGPT in writing an email, it considers the entire conversation, including your reactions and the email content. It is wise to follow a simple rule: Only provide AI tools, such as ChatGPT, with information that you would be comfortable sharing with a colleague via email. Keep in mind that your emails could potentially become public someday. If you are comfortable with that possibility, then sharing with AI should not be an issue. Otherwise, it is best to keep sensitive information away from AI systems. Additionally, you can choose to opt out of training ChatGPT with your conversations. By doing so, your interactions will not be used to improve the service, and your previous chats will be deleted from the servers after 30 days. However, it is still essential to exercise caution. Should OpenAI retain more data than currently disclosed and experience a security breach, your work data could be compromised.