AI at school and work
At school and at work, AI comes with rules. Use approved tools, be open about it, and keep doing the core work yourself. Like a calculator in maths class. Sometimes it's allowed, sometimes not, and you still need to know your sums. Learn how to use AI there, honestly and well.
First, what do you think?
If AI wrote your essay and you didn't say so, is that cheating? Have a guess.
What are the rules for AI at school and work?
The whole story in three sentences. Schools and employers set rules for AI. Most come down to three things. Approved tools, being open, and doing your own work. AI helps, but you stay responsible.
Think of a calculator in maths class. In some tests it's allowed, in others it isn't. Either way, you still need to understand the sums. Otherwise you can't tell when the answer is wrong.
Kennisnet, the Dutch organisation for IT in education, lists principles for schools:
- People come first. AI supports the student and the teacher, not the other way round.
- Approved tools only. Use the tools your school has approved.
- Be open. Say when and how you used AI.
- Your own work. AI helps, but never replaces what you do yourself.
- Protect privacy. Under 13, only with an adult.
At work it's much the same. Your employer decides which tools you may use, and for what.
What the predictor does
The predictor can write your essay. It can't learn for you. That's the rule.
When AI does the work, the predictor practises, not you. And you can't check what you don't understand. That's why your own work matters.
There's a second trap: AI can feel faster than it is. In one study, experienced developers used AI tools on their own projects. They expected to be 24% faster. Afterwards they thought they had been 20% faster. In fact, they took 19% longer.
And at work, mistakes cost more. The Dutch data protection authority got reports of data breaches. Patient data and customer files went into chatbots.
AI is your calculator. Use it when it's allowed, and say that you did. And keep knowing your sums.
Try it yourself
Four moments at school and at work. Is this OK?
Everything runs in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere.
How do you use AI well at school and work?
Four steps. Start before you open a tool.
Know the rules
Ask your teacher or your employer. Which tools? For which tasks? Is it allowed in this test or this project?
Use approved tools
Use the tools your school or employer approved. They come with rules about your data.
Be open about it
Say what you used AI for. For example: "AI gave me feedback on my structure."
Do the core work yourself
What must you be able to do? The thinking, the choices, the checking. Do that part yourself. Let AI help around it.
In practice
Three people with a calculator.
Case 1The essay
Yara (16) has an essay due tomorrow. She could let AI write it in a minute.
Hand it in as their own.
It's not her work, and she learns nothing. Most schools ask you to be open about AI.
Write it herself. Ask AI for feedback on her structure. Say that she did.
She learns to write, and she's honest about the help.
Case 2The new job
Pieter (29) starts at a new company. He wants to use AI for his reports, like at his old job.
Use the same personal tool as before.
His new employer may have different rules. Reports can contain company or customer data.
Ask which tools are approved, and for what. Use those.
He works faster, within the rules, without a data breach.
Case 3The developer who feels fast
Erik (35) is a developer. He uses AI all day, and feels much faster.
Trust that feeling.
In one study, developers felt faster but were in fact slower.
Time a few tasks, with and without AI. Use it where it really helps.
He knows where AI saves time, and where it doesn't.
When not to
- Not where it's not allowedLike a calculator in a mental maths test.Ask the rules first.
- Not for the part you must learnThen the predictor practises, not you.Do the core work yourself.
- Not secretlyHiding it breaks trust.Say what you used AI for.
By situation
Ask what's allowed for each task. Use approved tools. Say what you used AI for. Do the thinking yourself.
Use approved tools, under your employer's rules. Check everything you send. Since February 2025, EU rules on AI literacy apply.
Helping your child with homework? Talk about the school's rules together. Use AI to explain, not to do the homework.
Myths and mistakes
| Claim | True? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| AI at school is always cheating | No | It depends on the rules. Being open is key. |
| If nobody notices, it's fine | No | You learn nothing, and you can't check what you don't know. |
| AI always makes you faster | No | In one study, developers felt faster but were slower. |
| Any tool is fine at work | No | Your employer decides, with rules about data. |
Related topics
Read first
- Deepfakes and scamswhen others misuse AI.
Next
- AI and societythe bigger picture.
Related
- Codethe study on developers and AI.
Sources
- organisationKennisnet. Schoolafspraken over het gebruik van generatieve AI.Principles for schools: people come first, use only tools the school approved, be open about using AI, AI helps but never replaces your own work, protect privacy. Under 13 only with an adult.
- governmentAutoriteit Persoonsgegevens. Caution: use of AI chatbot may lead to data breaches.The Dutch data protection authority got reports of data breaches: a GP practice employee typed patient data into a chatbot, a telecom employee a file of customer addresses. Most companies behind chatbots store everything you type. (Checked through a search engine.)
- researchBecker e.a. (2025). Measuring the Impact of Early-2025 AI on Experienced Open-Source Developer Productivity.16 experienced developers worked on their own large projects. With AI tools they took 19% longer. They expected to be 24% faster, and afterwards thought they had been 20% faster.
- governmentEuropean Commission. AI Act.The EU AI Act sorts AI into four risk levels. Some uses are banned, like social scoring. People must be told when they talk to a chatbot, and deepfakes must be labelled. AI literacy rules apply from 2 February 2025.
Test
You get 7 questions about the whole page. Get 5 right, and you've mastered the topic.
About the tools in this course. Every tool is described in the same way, in alphabetical order, without a recommendation. Names, prices and features change often: the maker's own site is always right. This site was built with the help of Claude, one of the tools described here.