Will generative AI dull your brain?

Today, AI is like Aladdin’s lamp. It solves complex problems in the blink of an eye, analyzes thousands of data points in an instant, and makes our daily lives more convenient. But is extra convenience always a good thing? When everything becomes automatic, what happens to our own ability to think? If Google Maps shows us all the roads, will we retain the ability to find our way? Similarly, over-reliance on Generative AI may reduce the power of our brains.

Let me explain a bit. Suppose you want to try a new recipe. First, you search for the recipe on the Internet, make a list of ingredients, and use your intelligence to decide the quantities. As you cook, you use your creativity to improve the recipe. The whole process keeps your brain active and teaches you something new. But when AI does everything for you, your brain doesn’t have to work as hard.

A Silent Threat to the Brain: Overreliance on AI?

We can all agree that AI reduces our workload and makes complex tasks easier. But the added benefits are not always a blessing. Imagine you are working on a complex project. In the beginning, you may have done a lot of research, consulted experts, and created a plan based on your own knowledge. This whole process is a great exercise for your brain. But if you can just get a plan from AI, then your brain does not have to work. This can gradually weaken your brain’s critical thinking skills.

An eye-opening study by Microsoft and Carnegie Mellon University has shown that the more people rely on Generative AI to complete daily work tasks, the more their critical thinking skills decline. Just as the muscles of the body weaken when you do not exercise much, relying too much on AI makes the brain lazy! This study paints a disturbing picture of the use of AI in our daily lives.

How was this important research done?

For this important study, 319 knowledge workers were selected. All of them were already using Generative AI in their work. Among them were people from various professions such as teachers, forex traders, market researchers, code quality analysts. They used both text-based and image-based Generative AI tools. This study proves that AI is no longer just a technology, but has become an integral part of our work culture.

The researchers collected a total of 936 first-hand examples of employees using Generative AI in their work. Some employees used ChatGPT to create marketing plans, some used DALL-E to create attractive images for learning materials, and some used ChatGPT to write messages to their colleagues they had never met before. Even a nurse used Generative AI to create an educational brochure for new diabetic patients! (But she verified the content of the pamphlet herself). What is particularly noteworthy here is that AI is now being used not only for complex tasks, but also for simple communication.

The researchers then asked each worker to fill out a survey. The survey included questions about the capabilities of the AI tool, the ability to check their own AI output, and the ability to complete tasks without the help of AI. Workers were also asked how much they think about their work and how much effort they put into completing tasks with the help of AI. These valuable results were analyzed using Bloom’s Taxonomy. Bloom’s Taxonomy is a well-known framework that beautifully explains the different levels of critical thinking skills.

Research results that make us think about it

The study clearly shows that when workers use generative AI tools, they only use their critical thinking skills to check the quality of the AI’s answers. And only 60% of the time! This means that by blindly trusting AI, we are not using our brains enough. It is as if we have put AI in the driver’s seat and ourselves in the back.

More worryingly, the more people trust AI tools, the less interested they are in using critical thinking skills. If this trend continues, our creativity, problem-solving skills, and interest in learning new things may decline in the future.

In some cases, researchers have observed that people are more interested in using AI when they do not have enough time to complete a task or when the task is outside their role. Also, many people think that the task is not that important, so using AI is the smart thing to do. But these small tasks keep our brains active and provide an opportunity to learn something new.

So what should we do now? Some immediate steps

According to prominent researchers, we need to use technology wisely. Excessive automation can weaken our cognitive abilities. So while we use AI, we also need to keep our brains active. We need to regularly learn new things, solve complex problems, and continue to exercise to improve our critical thinking skills. Use technology as a friend, not a boss.

Generative AI is here to make our lives easier, not to make our brains lazy. So be aware when using AI, keep your brain active, and use technology for your own betterment. Remember, technology is our servant, not our master.

Let us all use AI properly and sharpen our intelligence. Let technology not weaken us, but rather make us stronger – that is our commitment.