Is AI Making Us Dumb? Only If We Forget What Intelligence Actually Is
- Rich Washburn
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Remember this one? “You won’t always have a calculator in your pocket!”
Oh, but I do.
And it’s not just a calculator — it’s a weather station, a film studio, and a portal to the collective intelligence of the entire planet. All neatly packaged in a glass slab I occasionally drop on my face while doomscrolling.
So, is technology making us lazy? Absolutely.
But — and here’s the kicker — that’s not the problem.
Because laziness isn’t a character flaw. It’s a survival mechanism. It’s the brain saying, “Let’s not waste energy on stuff that doesn’t need it.” The trick is choosing the right kind of lazy for the moment.
AI can absolutely take out the garbage. But if you let it start living your life for you, we’ve got a problem.
The Cognitive Offloading Conundrum
There’s a quiet danger here, and it’s hiding behind every click of a “summarize this” button and every AI-penned email.
It’s called cognitive offloading — handing over the heavy thinking to tech. In moderation? Great. Time-saving. Efficient. But in excess?
You start to lose the muscle of your own mind.
Like GPS dulling your internal compass, or autocorrect slowly stealing your spelling skills, AI can erode your ability to think if you’re not paying attention.
Students using ChatGPT to write essays without learning to write.
Professionals using it to brainstorm without understanding the why behind the ideas.
Entire police departments relying on facial recognition over, you know… actual evidence.
The more we rely on AI without intention, the more we risk becoming professional button-pushers — masters of inputs, but strangers to the outcomes.
Remember: Intelligence Isn’t Memory
There’s a quote I keep coming back to. Plutarch said, “The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.”
Real intelligence isn’t about memorizing trivia or pleasing teachers. It’s not about compliance. It’s about curiosity. Pattern recognition. A refusal to accept easy answers. The willingness to look under the hood, even when no one’s asking you to.
That’s the muscle AI can help us build — if we use it right.
Not as a crutch. As a catalyst.
The Amplifier Effect
Think of AI like caffeine. Or, if we’re being honest about the 1980s, like cocaine. It doesn’t make you better. It makes you more of whatever you already are.
If you’re curious? You’ll get wildly more curious. If you’re a learner? You’ll soak up knowledge like a shop vac in a kiddie pool. But if you’re passive?
You’ll coast. Hard.
AI is a hyperactive assistant who’s read the internet, but still thinks whales are fish if you don’t nudge it.
That’s not a reason to ignore it. It’s a reason to engage more deeply.
The Future Belongs to the Curious
Here’s a dirty little secret: I’ve learned more in the past three years than in the thirteen before it. Why? Because AI turned the learning curve into a launchpad.
I built a Wi-Fi coffee thermometer because I thought it’d be fun. (Also, I had the parts lying around.) Would I have done that five years ago? Not a chance. But now, I can walk into a project knowing I’ve got a mentor — one who nudges, suggests, points, but never does the work for me. That’s how you get smarter.
That’s how you build fire.
One Trick That Changes Everything
Want to use AI the right way? Try this:
Ask it to give you a Dunning-Kruger test on something new — 3D printing, espresso dialing, chaos theory, woodworking, whatever.
Make it weekly.
See where your confidence doesn’t match your competence. Then dig in.
You’ll be dangerous in the best way by summer.
Final Thought
AI isn’t the enemy of intelligence. It’s radioactive rocket fuel for it — but only if you keep your hands on the wheel.
So don’t just prompt. Explore. Double-check. Dig deeper. Think.
Own your mind.
Let AI be the assistant — not the operator. The future won’t be written by the lazy. It’ll be built by the endlessly curious.
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