Ask HN: Can we direct AI on our personal projects during work hours?

3 points by rpnx 37 days ago | 8 comments

So here's the question I wanted to pose around AI usage. With modern advanced AI, much of the time, using AI consists of sending a message a waiting a long time (often an hour or more) before the AI finishes a task.

Which I think brings up an important question, is it okay to take short work breaks to send instructions to AI working on your personal projects during work hours?

Do any employers have policies around this? And how does it interact with legal standards?

Are the rules around work-product well suited to the modern AI age?

Does it matter if I'm hourly vs salaried?

Should we do the same thing for work (asking work AI to do things occasionally during personal time)?

runjake 37 days ago |

The first rule of AI club is you do not talk about personal AI projects at work.

- Don't do any of it on work equipment, otherwise your employer may own your works. Do you like being sued?

- Don't discuss it with people at work, otherwise your employer may own your works because: time and IP. Do you like being sued?

Keep your mouth shut, use your own equipment and probably even network (eg: cell) and you should be fine. Or do you like being sued?

rpnx 37 days ago | |

Obviously using work equipment is a no-no. I'm also in agreement on point #2 aside that I think it's okay to discuss such topics e.g. during lunch in the same way you may discuss any other random topic at lunch.

runjake 36 days ago | | |

My objective is to minimize risk of lawsuits, even if I'm sure I'd win them. Of course, this can be solved by not working at places where this is a concern.

andyjohnson0 36 days ago |

"the modern AI age" doesn't really change the realities here.

If you're an employee and you're at work (contracted/customary working hours, using employer's equipment/facilities) then its reasonable for your employer to want you to work for them. There will likely be a tacit understanding that occasional brief web browsing or life admin tasks are acceptable, for example. But on the whole they'll expect you to be doing employee tasks.

hash0 37 days ago |

Honest question from an enthusiastic AI user:

"using AI consists of sending a message a waiting a long time (often an hour or more) before the AI finishes a task."

>>> What on earth are you prompting AI with that it takes so long to finish?!

rpnx 36 days ago | |

Mainly /goal mode of complex project/prompts. Example: https://doxygen.rpnx.net/cortado/ was nearly a one-shot for GPT 5.6 sol and took well over 1 hour for the first prompt before finishing.

But anything to do with compiler development tends to leave the AI spinning its wheels for quite a while.

Edit: Checked the time on that one, I confused it with Compress taking 3+ hours for 1 prompt and another couple of hours each for the next few prompts... Cortado was still well over 1 hour for the initial prompt though...

byoung2 37 days ago |

I would imagine it is similar to running an AirBnB and answering a guest's message during work hours. Just don't be obvious about it and don't let it interfere with your main job.

iExploder 36 days ago |

Is it ok to send DMs to your side piece when your partner is away?

Employer relationships are not much different, if you choose to do it, do it on the sly or suffer the consequence ;)

If you are a contractor (bachelor) situation may be different...