Is AI making us stupid?
I hate to say it and I don't want to sound pessimistic (but it's probably happening already :D)...
with all the conveniences we have, we are so fast and unfortunately also comfortable.
Have you noticed that when using Chat GPT or AI you don't even bother to think anymore?
So I use it to get information and I think I'm learning something, but I don't know if I'm really learning anything when AI does everything for me.
It's like a modern calculator that gives you the result without you understanding the processes and structures behind the calculations.
Is AI making us stupid? How do you approach using AI so that you still can learn and "use" your brain more actively?
IMO this will be a huge thing for the next generations and kids because if they rely too much on AI, they can become either geniuses or very lazy and illiterate people.
Replies
Hey, I totally get where you're coming from! It's a really thought - provoking topic, and you're not alone in having these concerns.
There's no denying that AI, especially tools like ChatGPT, have made our lives incredibly convenient. It's so easy to just fire off a question and get an answer in seconds. But you're right, it can sometimes feel like we're losing that active thinking muscle. When I first started using ChatGPT a lot, I caught myself not even trying to recall information I used to know off the top of my head. It was like my brain was on autopilot, relying on the AI to do the heavy lifting.
But I don't think AI has to make us stupid. It's all about how we use it. For me, when I use ChatGPT to get information, I make sure to dig deeper. If it gives me an answer about a complex topic, I'll ask it to explain the underlying concepts step - by - step. I also cross - reference the information with other sources, like academic papers or trusted websites. This way, I'm not just blindly accepting what the AI says, but actively engaging with the material and learning from it.
Another approach is to use AI as a starting point for your own ideas. Instead of using it to solve a problem for you, use it to get different perspectives or inspiration. For example, if you're writing an article, ask ChatGPT for some outline suggestions, but then take those ideas and develop them in your own unique way. This forces you to think critically and creatively.
As for the next generations and kids, it's definitely a tricky situation. On one hand, if they use AI smartly, it could be an amazing learning tool. They could access knowledge and resources that were previously out of reach. But if they rely on it too much without understanding the fundamentals, they could end up in trouble. Parents and educators have a huge role to play here. They need to teach kids how to use AI responsibly, and make sure they're still developing important skills like critical thinking, problem - solving, and independent learning.
I'm really curious to hear how others are dealing with this. Are there any other strategies you've found to use AI while still keeping your brain engaged? Let's discuss!
It's definitely helping us and making us do less work and focus on the more important stuff!AI really makes things easier for most people. You can ask ChatGPT for answers to anything and everything. In a way it does make us think less and as time goes, we will become more dependant on AI but the pros are way higher than cons.
minimalist phone: creating folders
@anisha_parikh For now, I just wish we could think more critically and do not take answers as they are. We need to be more proactive and curious.
No doubt! The moment we stop thinking the brain's neuron systems won't get triggered, and eventually become dumb. To survive, humans should always outsmart AI and have better control. There should be a clear distinction between when we should use AI and when not.
minimalist phone: creating folders
@veeresh_devireddy Glad that someone came up with a scientifical answer for this :)
They're great but learning on it too much might dull critical thinking. Should be used to boost skills, not replace them.
minimalist phone: creating folders
@cameron96 Good you mention it – how to learn critical thinking according to you? :)
I started using AI to help me with my work, and it has made things much easier for me. AI does the routine work for me, but I don't think that makes me any less intelligent. It's just a tool that you have to be able to use. For example, I recently found an interesting thing called https://www.bluedothq.com/tools/ai-interview-notes. It makes notes for me at work meetings, which is quite convenient.
minimalist phone: creating folders
@clyde_morgan Well, you are not maybe totally dependant but many people out there started being :D
HyNote AI
It depends on the person, i personally think that it has help me to learn more efficiently, i taught myself coding last year, and i treated chatgpt as my 24/7 private tutor and it has helped me enormously in accelerate my learning journey. With AI now, there is no excuse for not trying to learn a new set of skills.
minimalist phone: creating folders
@mtotheitothea I want to learn coding as well. How did you approach to it? Because it gives me the whole answer and I will not learn anything that way.
HyNote AI
i started off with basic courses such as those you can find on freecodecamp, and after that i bought some paid course on coursera, then followed by youtube tutorials and coding challenges from codewars and leetcode. And whenever i struggled with some coding concepts i'd ask chatgpt to break it down for me or with prompts such as "explain xyz to a primary school student" and so on. it was definitely hard but it's doable, you need to set time aside min. 2-3 hours a day.
best of luck Nika ;)
For this to be true, we need to presuppose that we are 'smart' in the first place. Which is not the case more often than we want to admit. AI just brings an additional layer to our stupidity or smartness and it's up to us to decide which direction it points towards in this particular moment and if we want to follow.
minimalist phone: creating folders
True... but you can see what we did. We rely too much :D
there is even a movie about it ->
minimalist phone: creating folders
@burak_ciflikli You forgot also about Don't look up with Leonardo DiCaprio :D
Yes, definitely. At least very lazy. My first thought upon seeing this question was to ask Chat GPT.
minimalist phone: creating folders
@mia618601587321 Typical :D I am glad that people use it in comments less. :D
Maybe not completely stupid, but definitely less educated in some ways. AI is great for looking up answers and making tasks easier, but there are still things we need to learn and do ourselves. Relying too much on AI can make people lazy when it comes to critical thinking and problem-solving. I also got some help with my coursework from Academized https://academized.com/write-my-coursework, and it was a huge relief, but that doesn’t mean they should do all my homework, right? At the end of the day, we still need to put in the effort to truly learn and grow
minimalist phone: creating folders
Personally, I use AI for education. It depends on the individual and his/her ambitions.