DeepGamma.

AI is a powerful tool that can amplify human intelligence when used sensibly. However, the rising trend of AI integration across various fields today may also carry risks of cognitive skills decline if dependence on it becomes excessive.

How do we strike a balance between leveraging its benefits and maintaining human autonomy?

What is Generative AI?

We’ve witnessed generative AI explosion on the internet across the globe in recent years. It’s transforming how we interact with industries such as travel, education, banking, to e-commerce.

Generative AI refers to artificial intelligence systems capable of creating new content—such as text, images, music, codes, and even entire videos—based on input data or user instructions.

These models use advanced machine learning techniques, particularly deep learning, to learn patterns and structures from massive datasets and generate outputs that mimic human creation.

To illustrate this, many videos you see on online platforms today like Youtube are created by Generative AI, from script, images, to audio. Artwork can be created by image generation models like DALL-E while music and lifelike voices also benefit from audio synthesis tools.

Businesses use AI-driven chatbots to help with their customer-service tasks by analysing patterns in large datasets of text to predict and construct meaningful replies in real-time.

AI and Human Intelligence

Today we owe a lot to AI and generative AI, especially in businesses and creative fields. But do they also pose potential risks to human intelligence?

So far, I can see the interaction between generative AI and cognition in both positive and negative dimensions:

Creativity

• Generative AI acts as a creative assistant, offering ideas, drafts, or design prototypes that humans can refine.

• It lowers the barrier to entry for creative talents (e.g., enabling non-artists to create art or non-programmers to write code).
• However, while AI boosts creativity, it can also homogenise outputs. This could limit truly novel ideas if people rely too heavily on AI-generated templates or patterns.

Problem-Solving

• AI tools can quickly analyse and summarise large amounts of information. This helps freeing up our cognitive resources for higher-order thinking.
• However, if tasks like writing, designing, or coding become overly AI-driven, humans may lose proficiency in these areas over time.

Cognitive Abilities

• AI helps minimising cognitive load by allowing us to automate repetitive or mundane tasks, and to focus on strategic and meaningful activities.
• Personalised learning experiences through AI-generated teaching materials are a great way to meet individual needs.
• However, heavy dependence on AI could weaken critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Plus, there’s a risk of diminishing the ability to perform tasks independently without AI support.

Human’s Critical Thinking and Cognitive Resilience

Are you aware of the recent rise in generative AI usage among young people? On the positive side, AI can enhance cognitive skills by providing tools for problem-solving and analysing complex data. It can free up mental resources, allowing us to focus on higher-order thinking. However, over-reliance on AI might weaken critical thinking and cognitive resilience

Critical thinking

A new study from Common Sense Media shows that a majority of teens in America are increasingly turning to AI companions for support with school and personal matters while most adults (parents and teachers) are unaware of it.

In a tragic incident, a boy developed an intimate connection with a generative-AI chatbot modelled after a character. Unfortunately, discussions on suicidal thoughts had eventually led to his actual suicide.

Obviously, excessive reliance on AI can lead to a decline in independent thought, as people might prioritise convenience over questioning and verifying information. This dependency risks diminishing one’s ability to critically evaluate data and solve problems without external assistance.

Cognitive Resilience

Cognitive resilience is the ability of a person to effectively adapt, maintain focus, and perform under stress, uncertainty, or challenging circumstances without becoming overwhelmed.

It helps us to adjust to rapid changes of new information, environments, and technologies even when faced with increasingly persuasive AI-generated content.

On one hand, AI can support resilience by acting as a resource during complex tasks, reducing stress and enabling focus on strategic problem-solving. On the other hand, consistent reliance on AI might reduce people’s ability to cope with cognitive strain, as they become accustomed to automated solutions. This can lead to a decline in perseverance and adaptability when faced with situations requiring independent effort or creativity.

How to Foster Critical Thinking and Build Cognitive Resilience

It’s no doubt that we need to ensure humans remain at the centre of decision-making, especially in a world increasingly influenced by AI.

This involves efforts and intentional strategies at personal, institutional, and societal levels.

Here’s how this balance can be achieved:

Education

Critical thinking is crucial in this case. It allows us to evaluate AI-generated content and make informed decisions rather than passively accepting it. Schools may introduce AI and data literacy into curriculum to teach students how AI works, its limitations, and how to critically assess its outputs.

Media

AI-generated media like deepfakes or fabricated news are now everywhere on the internet. They could be sources of misleading information or propaganda. Relying solely on detection technologies may not be enough to prevent society from potential harms. It’s crucial for people to be trained to identify misinformation and evaluate the credibility of sources, especially those impersonating public figures.

Exposure to AI-Generated Content

This might be counter-intuitive but it’s important to familiarise people with AI-generated works (like synthetic art, audio or videos) to improve their ability to differentiate between human-created and AI-generated content.

With this, people should develop cognitive resilience and be able to evaluate content for themselves, rather than depending on protective measures provided by authorities.

In Essence

As a consumer, I also enjoy looking at creative artworks and listening to podcasts created by AI on subjects I’m interested in and narrated by voices that suit my taste. Using an app to look up the English translation of a Japanese word can be useful as well. These innovations simplify my life in many ways.

However, AI and generative AI are powerful tools that can become double-edged swords when misused. They can either support or hinder our learning and development.

Balancing AI’s benefits with the need for human creativity, reasoning, and decision-making requires a combination of education and cultural change.

We should certainly encourage a culture of curiosity and questioning. For example, always ask:

• “What or who is the source of this output?”
• “What assumptions or biases might be embedded in this?”
• “Is it useful to me or the society?”

I hope that, if possible, governments, tech companies, and educational institutions should collaborate to create frameworks that balance innovation with the preservation of human autonomy.