GENERATIVE AI

HELLO AI, GOODBYE THINKING

Ruwandi Perera warns against the dangers of over reliance on generative AI

Then there are those who may not be able to string their words together in a coherent manner, only to leave their listeners trying desperately to make head or tail of the story.

The difference between these two kinds of people lies in their ability to structure their thoughts and put them into words in a way that others can understand.

Yet today, with generative AI being used for everything from writing emails to planning your weekly wardrobe, humans seem to be moving away from having to structure their words and thoughts.

This could be why many people struggle to write a paragraph, present a pitch or simply communicate ideas without using artificial intelligence.

Human beings have evolved greatly in terms of their ability to think. There are several concepts that psychologists and educational experts have identified, to try and explain the many complex functions that we perform.

For instance, structured cognition is our ability to use mental models to categorise, structure and interpret complex information.

Recursive thinking is when we continuously embed multiple ideas in each other to break a complex problem down into smaller parts, and then unravel them in order to solve the larger problem.

And metacognition is our ability to contemplate our thoughts and even make changes mid-thought.

Sounds complicated?

Yes, it is! And yet, we’re able to do all this and more due to the power of human understanding.

So how do we communicate the results of our cognitive powers?

Through communication – be it written, spoken, symbolic and even body language.

Although AI has myriad functions, the majority of us seem to use it solely for content generation such as writing an email, compiling a report or even creating a family dinner menu.

So does it save time? Yes. Does it accomplish mundane tasks so that you can focus on better things? Yes. And is it good for you? Probably not!

Writing may seem like a boring, time-consuming and non value adding task. After all, isn’t it about what the result should be, rather than what it should look like or sound like. Or maybe that’s not what’s expected…

Language isn’t simply a medium of communication to convey our thoughts to others; it is a shaper of thoughts.

According to a scholarly article by Maria Eduarda Marcelino (which was published in the Berkeley Undergraduate Journal in 2024), language shapes and moulds cognition, perceptions, memory and problem solving skills. She writes that language is a key contributor to the development of the human mind.

Therefore, avoiding writing will not only result in us not thinking; it will also cause us to lose the ability to think altogether.

And along with the decay and degradation of cognition, over reliance on AI will result in cognitive atrophy, which is the depletion of critical thinking and creativity – and the onset of cognitive homogenisation, where everyone will be thinking along the same lines.

Say goodbye to the wonders of diversity, and welcome conformity, groupthink and herd mentality. Simply put, it’s going to be a very boring global society that can easily be manipulated by a few who can escape or set the cognition trap.

Using generative AI isn’t all bad; it should be used to enhance our thinking and not replace it because no temporary gain is worth risking our ability to think. Perhaps the need of the hour is for individuals and corporates to invest time, money and effort in learning how to use artificial intelligence for the better rather than for worse.

This process can begin by using AI less as a writing tool or search engine, and more as a helpful research assistant to explore more avenues and not seek the (perfect, yet standard) answer. It can also involve using generative artificial intelligence to question our assumptions, instead of agreeing to anything we say.

All that’s necessary is for us to take the cognitive reins and let AI carry the functional load.