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

#1

Post by rpnx » Tue, Aug 04, 2026, 4:58 PM UTC

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)?

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

#2

Post by byoung2 » Tue, Aug 04, 2026, 5:12 PM UTC

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.

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

#3

Post by runjake » Tue, Aug 04, 2026, 7:46 PM UTC

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?

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

#4

Post by rpnx » Tue, Aug 04, 2026, 10:16 PM UTC

runjake wrote: post #3

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 fi…

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.

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

#5

Post by PaiDxng » Wed, Aug 05, 2026, 2:07 AM UTC

[flagged]

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

#6

Post by hash0 » Wed, Aug 05, 2026, 5:54 AM UTC

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?!

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

#7

Post by iExploder » Wed, Aug 05, 2026, 8:48 AM UTC

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...

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

#8

Post by andyjohnson0 » Wed, Aug 05, 2026, 9:35 AM UTC

"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.

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

#9

Post by runjake » Thu, Aug 06, 2026, 12:29 AM UTC

rpnx wrote: post #4

runjake wrote: post #3

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 fi…

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.

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.

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

#10

Post by rpnx » Thu, Aug 06, 2026, 12:29 AM UTC

hash0 wrote: post #6

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?!

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...