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Ayush

Do you think AI is making you lazier and less original?

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MIT just dropped a fascinating (and slightly scary) study.

They had participants write SAT-style essays using:

  1. ChatGPT

  2. Google

  3. Just their brains

What happened?

  • ChatGPT made it easier to get words on the page

  • But essays were “soulless” and all sounded the same

  • People couldn’t remember what they wrote later

  • Brain activity was low the whole time

The group that wrote without AI?

  • Higher creativity

  • More original ideas

  • Actually remembered what they wrote

As users of AI, this raises a big question:

Do you think AI is making you lazier and less original?

Is that something you’d want to fix, or are you okay trading effort for convenience?

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Nika
Ambassador

It depends how you intend to use AI.


Completing tasks without a little effort to add something your own? Then yes, AI makes you stupid.


For researching, learning new things/getting information, collaborative brainstorming? Then it helps you to upskill.

sania khan

@busmark_w_nika Exactly! I am with you :)

Nika
Ambassador
sania khan

@busmark_w_nikaWhat you’re saying is absolutely right - tools like this really help streamline our workflow and reduce a lot of manual hassle. But at the same time, we can’t rely on them entirely.

It’s important to have human oversight and judgment, especially when dealing with critical tasks. These tools are here to support us, not fully replace us - and when used wisely, they can really boost efficiency.

Nika
Ambassador

@sania_khan10 Collaboration with AI is the way!

Mikkel Banner

Honestly, I've felt that shift too. When I use AI, it's like my brain takes the back seat. It helps with speed, sure but sometimes I reread what I wrote and it doesn't even feel like me. I'm starting to see that using my own words, even if they take longer to find, creates a stronger connection to the work.

Manu Goel
Launching soon!
Absolutely agree with the Essay example i.e. soulless writing. But in other cases, AI actually helps accelerate creativity. In fact, I am one of those who switched sides from being anti-AI 2 years back to being pro-AI. I never thought I could solve the problem (which my product MarketFit solves) with an AI product. It did. Yes, I had to really put in a lot of effort and creativity myself in getting deep into neural networks and more…so, wasn’t easy… but at least it became possible. In my experience, I had to think much more in order to match the pace of AI. In my view, AI is expanding the horizon and helping solve more and better.
Maria Anosova 🔥

This is a new stage.

Like the invention of the wheel.

Did the invention of the wheel make humanity lazier?

I think there are pros and cons to everything. But it is definitely progress.

Mathews Simons

AI helps me brainstorm but I've noticed my originality takes a hit. It's like eating fast food instead of cooking quick and easy but not always satisfying. I don't want to rely on it so much that I forget how to think for myself.

Madison Marley

This is spot on. I used to journal daily with pen and paper. Since switching to AI note takers and summarizes, I barely remember anything I wrote.

Manuel Zarroca
Launching soon!

Last year Microsoft also released a study that claimed that employees who used Copilot at work were losing critical thinking skills. Just imagine... their own AI model. I'd say we really need to fix this, but the real question is, since AI is here to stay, how can we make models encourage our creative/critical thinking?

Zagita

AI making us lazy? That's like blaming spoons for making us fat.😅

The brain is a use-it-or-lose-it muscle - outsource all your thinking and yeah, you'll get flabby. But used strategically? AI becomes the ultimate gym spotter for your creativity.

The key is to never let it do the actual thinking for us - just the busywork so we can think better.

Igor Lysenko

Here you can split into two camps, on the one hand it helps people, on the other it harms them. And I can't give an exact answer :(

Daniel Zaitzow
Launching soon!

It's making my emails more cohesive I'll tell you that haha

Chris Surita
I think the crux of the issue is that AI tools as a whole I feel like are meant to accelerate or augment ideas that are already there. The other thing that is an issue is many models are really into reaffirming your own ideas. You really have to be your own best critic when you put forth ideas and use AI as more of a proof reader rather than the main author of a work. I’ve actually gotten into the habit of telling AI that the idea I’d like to talk to it about is from a competitor/a peer/someone else and I’ve found it’s MUCH more critical and useful as a critic than if I say it’s my idea.