Don't Let Your Brain Check Out On You

Is AI making us dumber or smarter?

We're all feeling it. That moment when you stare at a blank screen and think "I'll just ask ChatGPT to get me started." Or when you catch yourself reaching for AI before even trying to recall something you definitely know.

Well, there’s research coming out of multiple institutions that’s painting a pretty clear picture, and honestly I don’t think the results should be surprising.

Heavy AI users are showing weaker brain connectivity on EEG scans. People can't remember what they wrote with AI assistance just minutes earlier. And sure, we're getting faster at routine tasks, but we're seeing SIGNIFICANT drops in our ability to handle complex, new problems.

AI is not all bad. But our brains are designed around "use it or lose it", and when we consistently outsource thinking, those neural pathways literally start to weaken.

So what can we do?

• Use AI to unlock your creativity. Build something new.

• Keep challenging your brain. Read, learn, solve problems, do a puzzle, whatever. Even small mental workouts make a big difference.

• Please, please, try thinking on your own before asking AI for answers. That little exercise helps strengthen your memory.

• Mix AI's insights with your own intuition and experience. They're both needed.

• Don't underestimate the power of real human conversations to spark ideas and fresh thinking.

• Set some boundaries. Maybe no AI for the first hour of deep work, or try writing the first drafts by hand occasionally.

• Move your body. Exercise is a massive cognitive enhancer. You don’t have to be a body builder. Go outside, take a walk, step away from the screens and get some air and sunlight.

Hey, maybe we're cooked :) since GenAI is only going to infiltrate our lives even more, but we can at least be intentional. The evidence suggests we can have both: AI's efficiency AND our human thinking abilities at full strength.