Man Panics as AI Takes Over His Thinking Tasks

It's an undeniable truth that automation can lead to laziness. Generally, these trade-offs are considered worthwhile. However, AI chatbots seem particularly detrimental as they essentially automate thought processes.

Th That's according to Sam Schechner, who covers technology for The Wall Street Journal began to become more aware of after developing a bad ChatGPT habit.

He penned that artificial intelligence felt like it was devouring his mind. recent essay for the newspaper.

Schechner, who resides in Paris as an American, had started depending on the OpenAI chatbot for composing emails in French. He reached a stage where he utilized this tool not only for professional correspondence but also for writing messages to his French acquaintances.

"After years of building up my ability to articulate nuanced ideas in French, AI had made this work optional. I felt my brain get a little rusty," Schechner wrote. "I was surprised to find myself grasping for the right words to ask a friend for a favor over text."

Robert Sternberg, a Cornell University psychology professor, warned Schechner.

He said that with creativity, if you do not utilize it, it begins to diminish, WSJ reporter.

Schechner's experience is not uncommon. recent study Research from experts at Microsoft and Carnegie Mellon indicated that as individuals increasingly depended on and placed their trust in AI responses, their own critical thinking abilities tended to deteriorate. paper published last year revealed a concerning connection between students who frequently used ChatGPT and loss of memory and declining grades .

This is an example of a larger trend that psychologists refer to as cognitive offloading — when we outsource the burden of performing mental tasks to external tools, like an AI model. Cognitive offloading can be helpful, disencumbering our brains of having to perform tedious work so we can focus on more fulfilling pursuits, or harder brain tasks that deserve more attention. But you can get excessive even when positive.

As their title suggests, large language models promise to handle language tasks for us. While thought and language are not identical, the boundary between them is hazy. Regardless, relinquishing such a significant aspect to tools known for their susceptibility to errors seems unwise. making up information and lying .

"Louisa Dahmani, a neuroscientist from Massachusetts General Hospital, explained to Schechner that tools such as GPS and generative artificial intelligence can lead to cognitive laziness. Her research in 2020 revealed that depending on GPS for navigation weakens our ability to remember spaces. Although it’s feasible to utilize these technologies thoughtfully, I believe many people will opt for the easiest approach," she added.

Certainly, everyone should consume their veggies. Nonetheless, it might still be challenging to convince somebody not to simply have a chatbot pen an essay for them, thereby saving themselves considerable time and effort. churn out that email to a boss they hate. After all , We find it hard to set aside our smartphones, despite being aware that they are also transforming our brains into something less functional.

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