When to tell people you used AI
A simple test for when to say so, and why honesty here builds trust rather than spending it.
Jamie Owen Updated 6 Jun 2026
There’s no universal rule that you must announce every use of AI. Using it to tidy your own grammar isn’t a confession. But there is a line where disclosure becomes the honest thing to do, and a simple test finds it.
The test
Would the person relying on this feel misled if they learned AI was involved? If yes, say so. If AI’s involvement changes how they should weigh the work, they have a right to know.
When to disclose
Work presented as your own expertise: advice, analysis, or creative work that people will judge as yours. Anything that feeds a decision about a person, such as a reference or an assessment. Content that looks human by default, like an AI-written message sent as if you typed it, or a generated image that could pass for a photograph. And anywhere a policy or a platform requires it, which is more places every year.
How to do it lightly
One line does it: “Drafted with AI assistance and reviewed by me.” The second clause is the one that matters. It says a human stands behind the result.
Quiet honesty about AI use costs you almost nothing and buys trust. Being caught hiding it costs far more.
This site takes its own advice, by the way. AI helps maintain it, the footer says so, and the reasons are written down.