Let’s cut the crap. Every time people whisper, ‘But shouldn’t we be worried AI will make us dumb?’, I feel like I’m watching someone blame their microwave for their inability to boil water.
Here’s the deal: ChatGPT isn’t the root of your intellectual decay. It’s not out here doing mental jujitsu and slapping your brain cells into early retirement. You are. You’re the one copy-pasting a prompt to do your critical thinking for you, and then having the audacity to say, ‘Technology is making us lazy!’ Yeah, and pizza delivery made us bad hunters too, apparently.
See, ChatGPT is a tool. And like every tool in history, it’s neutral. A hammer can build a house or fracture your thumb—you’re the wild card. It’s not the hammer’s fault you’re trying to butter toast with it.
The real problem? People want autopilot without ever learning how to fly the damn plane. They treat ChatGPT like some celestial cheat code for their existential laziness: ‘Hey ChatGPT, write me a novel, solve my midlife crisis, and explain string theory so I can impress someone on Tinder.’ No wonder we’re confused.
Want AI to make you smarter? Learn how to ask smart questions. Learn how to use the answers. Learn how to verify, tweak, question, and—god forbid—think. Use AI like a partner for your ideas, not a babysitter for your brain.
So no, ChatGPT isn’t making you dumb. But using it to dodge thinking sure as hell is. Drink your coffee, ask better prompts, and for once, engage that magnificent processor between your ears. It’s still in there—probably.