Is AI Making Us Dumber, or Just Rewiring Human Cognition?

There’s a growing debate about AI and human cognition. Does relying on tools like ChatGPT make us mentally weaker, or simply more efficient? A recent PCMA Convene article, “What Science Has to Say About How to Use AI,” argues that too much dependence on AI, particularly generative tools like ChatGPT, can dull our cognitive edge. It cites several studies suggesting that when people offload thinking tasks to AI, their brain activity, memory retention, and motivation decline. The MIT Media Lab’s “Your Brain on ChatGPT” paper is the centerpiece: it found that students who relied solely on their own brains showed stronger neural connectivity, while those using ChatGPT had the weakest, and declining, brain engagement over time. The article’s core thesis is cautionary: over reliance on AI could make us mentally lazier. But it ends on a constructive note, arguing that the order of tool use matters. Think first, then bring in AI. Humans should stay “in the driver’s seat,” using AI to test, not replace, their reasoning.

The Debate: Is AI Hurting Human Cognition?

Now, here's where I take a different view because the article tiptoes around this, but doesn't entertain this view:

AI isn’t making us dumber. It’s reallocating cognition.

Just as the calculator didn’t destroy mathematical ability but freed up mental bandwidth for higher-order problem solving, generative AI may simply shift where human effort adds the most value. Cognitive offloading, the act of delegating repetitive or low-value thought to a system, has always been how intelligence scales. Writing externalized memory. The internet externalized search. AI is externalizing synthesis.

That to me is not decay; that’s evolution.

In this view, using AI to think isn’t a shortcut, it’s a collaboration between biological and synthetic cognition. The human mind becomes a conductor rather than a laborer. The skill to master isn’t “retain more data” or “think without help,” it’s “direct machine intelligence toward novel insight.”

Cognitive Offloading Is How Intelligence Scales

That requires metacognition (thinking about how we think), arguably a higher, not lower, level of intelligence. So instead of fearing that AI might shrink our mental muscles, the I would say to that:

We’re not losing cognitive capacity; we’re rewiring it for a post-textual, co-intelligent era.

The problem isn’t that people use AI too much, it’s that they use it passively, without curiosity or reflection.

So here’s the real question: are we witnessing the decay of thinking, or the dawn of a new kind of intelligence that knows how to delegate wisely?

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People also ask me:

Q: Does AI make humans less intelligent?
A: Not necessarily. AI offloads repetitive tasks, freeing humans for higher-order thinking like synthesis and creativity.

Q: What is cognitive offloading?
A: It’s the process of delegating mental work to external systems, like writing, search engines, or now, AI.

Q: How can leaders build AI fluency without losing human creativity?
A: By encouraging critical thinking and reflection before using AI, “think first, then prompt.”

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If you’re leading a team or business and want to build AI fluency instead of fear, let’s connect. I help organizations use AI strategically,  not as a crutch, but as a catalyst for sharper thinking and smarter execution. Book me to speak.