Yes — showing AI on screen during a live session is not only acceptable, it often becomes one of the most valuable teaching moments. Students see how you prompt, how you evaluate the output, and how you apply it — which is the skill they actually came to learn.
The Fear Behind the Question
Most educators who ask this are worried about one of two things: that it looks unprepared, or that it undermines their credibility. Both concerns make sense — but both are based on an outdated model of what expertise looks like. In 2026, knowing how to work effectively with AI tools is itself a form of expertise. Demonstrating it live is not a weakness; it is a master class.
Think about how cooking shows work. The chef doesn’t pre-make everything and hide the process — they cook in front of you so you can see what skill actually looks like in practice. Showing AI on screen in a live session is the same thing: you are demonstrating your judgment, your prompting skill, and your ability to evaluate and refine output. That is exactly what your students need to see.
How to Use AI on Screen Effectively
The key is narrating what you are doing as you do it. Don’t just type a prompt and wait silently — explain your thinking. “I am giving Claude some context first because without it the output will be too generic. Watch what happens when I add specifics about my audience.” Then show the result and evaluate it out loud: “That’s decent but the tone is a bit formal for our community. Let me ask it to make it more conversational.” That running commentary transforms a tool demonstration into a genuine teaching moment.
You can also deliberately use imperfect outputs to teach critical evaluation. Show a prompt that produces something mediocre, explain why, and then show the improved version. Students learn more from seeing you troubleshoot AI in real time than from watching a polished result appear instantly — because troubleshooting is the skill they will actually need to develop.
What This Means for Educators
Showing AI on screen builds trust with your audience, not the opposite. It signals transparency, current knowledge, and confidence. Students in your community are trying to learn how to use these tools themselves — watching you use them well, and narrate that use, is one of the fastest ways to accelerate their learning.
The Simple Rule
Show the process, not just the result. Narrate your prompting decisions. Evaluate the output out loud. Your judgment is the teaching — AI is just the material you are working with.