From the incorporation of calculators in math classes, to welcoming Macintosh and using computers and in our daily lives; the negative consequences of confining the use of our mental faculties to a tool have been criticized throughout history. Online computer tools are no exception though, and there have been real worries about it.
For example, since Google’s started, people have suffered from digital amnesia, also known as the “Google effect,” which causes them to forget information they think is easy to find through search engines. After many years, people have come to accept the idea of working with it, and now, it is no longer a threat.
However, all of those emotions and anxieties had now been triggered hundred times more by artificial intelligence.
Researchers are now examining the effects of generative artificial intelligence chatbots on our brains because of their growing popularity. More than 300 knowledge workers from a number of industries participated in a study conducted by Microsoft and Carnegie Mellon University, and this revealed that technology negatively impacting our critical thinking abilities.
When AI does the thinking, humans do less
Participants were asked to provide examples of how they use generative AI tools in their work and whether or not they used critical thinking.
In those scenarios, slightly more than 40% of respondents said they didn’t think critical thinking was necessary.“engage in critical thinking primarily to ensure the quality of their work,” as they put it “by verifying outputs against external sources.”
However, the study found that participants “perceived critical thinking activities, overall, to require less effort when using a GenAI tool compared to when not using one.”
In the end, it means that we put less effort into critical thought the more we start trusting the machine.
How Genai reduces problem-solving to simple confirmation
While generative AI can increase productivity, the researchers warn that “it can inhibit critical engagement with work and can potentially lead to long-term overreliance on the tool and diminished skill for independent problem-solving.”
Furthermore, they noted that “Higher confidence in GenAI’s ability to perform a task is related to less critical thinking effort.” They explain this by saying that “when using GenAI tools, the effort invested in critical thinking shifts from information gathering to information verification; from problem-solving to AI response integration; and from task execution to task stewardship.”
This change in the focus—from obtaining data to confirming it, from resolving issues to incorporating AI solutions—helps to explain why there is less active practice of the individual’s reasoning.
Balancing productivity and critical thinking
This pattern corresponds to previous warnings: generative AI seems to replace some of the mental work, just as the “Google effect” started with Google and there were previously concerns about writing or using calculators.
In order to help scientists, students, and any other individual use the new technology without losing their capacity for independent analysis, the authors’ study “suggests that GenAI tools need to be designed to support knowledge workers’ critical thinking by addressing their awareness, motivation, and ability barriers,”
In reality, the effects on people are evident: too much delegation can cause critical thinking to decline, but deliberate use can preserve it through quality assurance and verification.
But, like Google, artificial intelligence is here to stay and there is no turning back from it. Fighting it won’t make things any easier. However, it could contribute to great collaborations if it is treated as a tool instead of an enemy.
The way these tools are designed and integrated into workflows will be crucial in the future for finding a balance between productivity and personal judgment, preventing the return of the risks associated with past technological advancements.