Outsourcing Thought: Gen Z’s Real AI Problem

Forget robots taking jobs, the real crisis is a generation offloading its thinking to AI and calling it learning. We’re not automating tasks; we’re atrophying minds.

We used to fear machines replacing humans. Now, the machines aren’t just replacing labor, they’re replacing thought. Amazon’s CEO warns of job shifts, but the deeper threat lies in “cognitive offloading,” where young people rely on AI not just to automate tasks, but to do their thinking for them.

Critical thinking, creativity, and synthesis are under siege. Students now outsource essays, coding, and even mathematical reasoning to AI, often submitting outputs untouched.

The result? A crop of graduates who can regurgitate but not reason, echo but not innovate. Studies show handwriting activates wider brain regions than typing, yet schools double down on devices, and AI tools make even note-taking obsolete.

We need to treat cognition like muscle. Left unused, it shrinks. As we embrace AI, are we teaching students to become strategic thinkers, or passive users?

• AI tools short-circuit deep learning
• Handwriting strengthens neural development
• “Machinic blandness” replaces originality

As AI reshapes education, we must ask: If AI rewards speed over depth, what happens when nuance becomes a liability instead of a strength? Are we producing agile thinkers or credentialed passengers?

Read the full article on Wall Street Journal.

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