How I Discovered AI Was Making Me Dumber — and What I Did to Reclaim My Mind
My discovery of this phenomenon occurred when I composed an email to the Paris rec center. A basketball coach for my son was absent without explanation and this person served as the subject. Creating complaints in a foreign language makes me feel uncomfortable due to my limited command of the language. Since many modern users follow this practice, I entered the situation description to ChatGPT and requested the creation of French email content.
The program generated a complete professional French email within seconds which maintained both politeness yet firmness in its language. I used my computer to transfer and distribute the message through email. But something didn’t feel right.
The Creeping Dependence
The quality of the AI-based output did not cause my concern, but rather my inaction in making it work. It was excellent. The real problem stemmed from my unwillingness to attempt writing the article myself. The machine took responsibility for everything that involved hard work in writing and translation. The process was fast yet painless—but at the same time gave me a disturbing feeling.
Journalistic work consumes most of my time because I devote it to thinking alongside continuous writing, accompanied by problem-solving duties. My experience has made me proficient at dealing with complex words and concepts in narrative structures. The frequency of my AI usage for numerous tasks gradually increased. Need a clever headline? Ask ChatGPT: Unsure how to start a story? Let the bot brainstorm. The system produces straightforward summaries of difficult documents when needed. Have the AI condense it.
The point where I noticed I no longer considered alternative solutions to my writing problems made me concerned about the situation. Feelings arose that indicated I gave away my thoughts as well as my words.
The Atrophy of Mental Effort
Avoiding mental effort has consequences. For years, cognitive scientists have advised people to use their brains actively or brain functions will deteriorate. The brain remains active and sharp based on the effort it takes to battle complex problems alongside sentence generation and decision-making processes.
Research indicates that excessive dependence on technology leads to the reduction in mental capabilities. The development of GPS systems leads people to perform poorly at spatial tasks. Autocomplete makes us worse spellers. The advent of generative AI technology seems to degrade human abilities in writing and thinking, and problem-solving functionality.
Students who allowed AI to finish their assignments demonstrated poorer information retention in comparison to students who handled the work independently. When individuals depended on AI systems to make choices, their skill to exercise independent decision-making deteriorated until they lost self-confidence in their abilities.
Rebuilding My Mental Muscles
I made a deliberate attempt to transform my behavior after becoming aware of what occurred. The use of AI remained a practical necessity since it incorporated itself into my tools, so I restricted my use instead of giving up on it completely. I established clear limits for the situations when I would use AI technology.
1. AI as a Co-Pilot, Not a Pilot
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Artificial-intelligence technology became my idea generator while I handled all actual writing tasks. I would consult the bot only when I required concept input or different word choices. But the drafting? That was mine to do. It slowed me down, sure. But I was thinking again.
2. Writing in Longhand
Journaling and paper outlining brought back my brain activity, so I restarted these activities. Writing with pen and paper made me arrange my thoughts systematically, which prevented me from automatically scraping ideas from the "generate" button while facing challenges.
3. Practicing Languages Without AI
I decided to spend additional time producing email drafts in French, despite the process taking longer to develop the skill independently. The process included unavoidable mistakes, which led to new skills being developed. The creation of each email served as a learning opportunity for the language.
4. Mindful Tech Use
I began asking whether this process could be handled independently. Am I using AI at this juncture, or am I merely seeking a way to avoid contemplating the issue? The quick examination function stopped me from choosing simplicity.
Reclaiming Cognitive Confidence
The result? I began to feel mentally stronger. Writing became more rewarding again. I trusted my own ideas more. And while AI still played a role in my work, it no longer felt like it was running the show.
I also became more aware of how easily others could fall into the same trap. Students, creatives, even coders—AI offers shortcuts for everyone. But shortcuts can leave us lost when the tech fails or when we’re asked to perform without a crutch.
It’s not just about individual intelligence either. If entire industries begin relying on AI for creative, analytical, and strategic thinking, what happens to innovation? To originality? To critical thought?
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The Balance Between Innovation and Intellect
The goal isn’t to fear AI. It’s to use it wisely. Like a calculator, AI can be a powerful aid—but it shouldn’t replace our ability to do the math. In the same way, we should build our mental muscles, not let them fade from disuse.
So now, when I face a hard writing task or a tricky sentence in French, I pause. I think. I draft. I struggle. And only after I’ve done the work, I may ask AI: How would you improve this?
The answer might be helpful. Or not. But at least I know the ideas began with me.
Final Thoughts
I realized AI was making me lazy, dulling the very skills I once took pride in. But with some effort and intentionality, I reclaimed my mental clarity. And if I can do it, anyone can.
Let AI assist, not replace. Don’t trade the hard, rewarding work of thinking for convenience. Because in the end, our minds are our greatest asset. Let’s not give them up too easily.
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