Guilty of Letting AI Do the Thinking for You?
In the past week, how often have you used AI (artificial intelligence) tools, like ChatGPT, to help you brainstorm, summarize ideas, or explain a concept? Would you say that you're using AI more than doing the actual work yourself, like researching or completing tasks on your own? In a world that's becoming increasingly dependent on AI, given the rapid boom of technology in recent years, it's worth asking: just how reliant have you become on AI—and how can you step back before it's too late?
1. Asking AI Over A Quick Search
Instead of asking Google and searching for the answer yourself, as was the norm before AI took over, you now open ChatGPT (or an equivalent) and type the same question in the box. Your excuse? AI gets you to the answer quicker, and if you have follow-up questions, you can ask those, too.
2. Making AI Explain Complex Concepts
An overly complex math problem you can't seem to grasp? Ask AI. In fact, you probably do this for every single subject, regardless of how much or little you already know. It's not like you don't trust your teacher or your notes, but just to be on the safe side, you'll double-check with AI.
3. Using AI to Generate Ideas
Graphics? Travel ideas? Birthday party themes? Your brain is blank, and you'd rather not have to rack it for creativity. So what do you do instead? Head to AI and ask what ideas it has. Heck, you might even plan out entire events with AI.
4. Using AI to Do Your Homework
When was the last time you did your homework without AI? Probably... a long time ago, or maybe you can't even remember. Ever since ChatGPT was released, students all over the world have been using it to help them with their assignments, from writing essays to creating study materials.
5. You Can't Write a Sentence Without AI
Never mind a sentence—you don't trust your own writing anymore unless it's been proofread by AI. Whether it's Grammarly or ChatGPT or another tool, you're always running your words by AI to ensure it's "perfect," no matter if it's an email or a long caption for social media.
6. You Treat AI as a Friend—and Therapist
To you, AI is basically human. Well, obviously it's not, but you treat it as such. It's not only a tutor, assistant, or even a friend to you, and you don't just go to it when you need an explanation for a concept or guidance when you're lonely. In fact, you go to it for emotional support, too, spilling all your struggles and frustrations to it as if code can help mend you back together.
7. You Let AI Make Decisions for You
From small to big, personal decisions, you let AI do the work. You treat its responses like a second opinion, even though it can't truly understand the nuances or importance behind certain choices. (You don't care; it's probably still better than your decision-making skills.)
8. You've Stopped Researching on Your Own
You don't use your brain power to do research anymore. Just the same as you no longer use search engines for your simple questions, you go straight to AI to have it do the job and have it summarize key takeaway points for you.
Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash
9. You Don't Fact-Check Anymore
You know you shouldn't, but you often take AI's word for it. It can make mistakes and even hallucinate answers, but hey, if it sounds right, you'll take it. You might even make AI do the fact-checking for you instead of doing the tedious task yourself.
10. You Feel Anxious When AI Tools Are Down
When AI tools are momentarily down because of maintenance or an update, you're panicking. Where else are you going to direct your questions to? What other tool can you use that can generate an entire essay for you in minutes? You're anxious without AI by your side, and it's only when these tools are back online that you relax.
Do these points sound like you? Now that we've pinned down some signs of AI dependency, let's jump into some ways to step back.
1. Practice Critical Thinking
Instead of using AI to do all the thinking for you, gather facts yourself first. In fact, pretend as though AI tools don't exist yet. Look at the problem from different perspectives, challenge your beliefs and ideas, and try to come to a solution using your own judgement and deduction. The more you exercise your brain, the stronger it will stay.
2. Set a Limit
If you're finding it difficult to keep yourself away from AI tools and websites, set a time limit that blocks access after a certain number of hours or visits. You can find browser extensions that do this, and you may be able to do it from your phone, too.
3. Engage in Real-World Problem-Solving
Better yet, join events and situations where you're forced to problem solve without the use of AI, such as academic competitions, networking events, live debates, and dedicated clubs. The more you practice (and the more you're exposed to real-time, high-pressure environments), the better you'll understand how to analyze and handle complex problems.
4. Read More
Another easy way to exercise your brain? Read more. No matter the genre and whether it's non-fiction or fiction, reading exposes you to new concepts and vocabulary. You'll not only strengthen your writing skills, you'll also be able to learn and absorb different kinds of material.
5. Don't Trust Everything AI Says
You might be used to taking outputs by AI for granted, thinking that it probably knows more than you do. But it doesn't—and you should always stay wary. Question the responses and solutions it gives, and make it a habit to fact-check on your own. You may start to realize that AI fabricates things out of nothing more often than you initially thought.
6. Practice Writing Every Day
If you've been using AI to do your writing assignments for you or to draft up work drafts, presentations, graphics, and other copy, pause and take a step back. Start making it a habit to practice writing every day, whether it's a few sentences or a couple of paragraphs. Doing this will help you better understand your writing voice and style, and allow you to exercise your creativity.
7. Join Discussion & Study Groups
Similar to joining real-world events that challenge your problem-solving skills, you can also participate in discussion groups, whether at work or school, where you can collaborate with others to brainstorm and conceptualize ideas, and work through complex questions. Teaming up will allow you to see things in different ways, and can help you develop stronger critical thinking skills.
8. Use AI to Plan Non-Work-Related Things
Use AI to plan your vacation trips and the perfect itinerary, or to make a grocery list for you based on your budget. Instead of relying on AI tools to do your actual work—like homework and professional tasks—let it handle tedious chores that don't replace your critical thinking skills.
9. Be Curious!
Stay curious about the world! Despite everything you already know and have learned, there's so much more out there that you've yet to encounter or understand. Don't rely on AI to show you what else exists and how things work—go research and read up on it yourself! The latter will feel much more rewarding.
10. Use AI as a Tool, Not as a Crutch
At the end of the day, technology and AI are just tools. They can make our lives easier, but they are not replacements, and you shouldn't use them as such. AI should never be doing the bulk of the work for you or making decisions for your personal life. You are in control, not the other way around, so it's important to make boundaries.
