Is AI Making Us Dumber? Study Reveals Critical Thinking Decline

Vol-TE

Vol-TE

Apprentice
A recent study by Microsoft and Carnegie Mellon University reveals alarming effects of generative AI on critical thinking among knowledge workers. As employees increasingly rely on AI for everyday tasks, their critical thinking skills weaken. The study, involving 319 participants from diverse fields, found that confidence in AI's capabilities directly correlates with reduced critical thinking engagement. Workers often leaned on AI for trivial tasks or under time pressure, neglecting opportunities to exercise their cognitive abilities. Researchers warn that over-reliance on automation may ultimately impair our mental agility when faced with complex challenges.

Do you think AI is hindering our cognitive skills? How can we balance AI use with critical thinking?

Source: https://www.extremetech.com/interne...ulls-your-cognitive-abilities-microsoft-finds
 
Vol-TE said:
their critical thinking skills weaken
Click to expand...
In my opinion, they have started using AI extensively, to solve complex things users are taking use of AI
I have seen same trend in educations, students who know about AI are taking much better use of AI to simplify there answers and understand properly. (with less needs for them to think critically)
 
TEUser2K1 said:
Were people dumbed down because they used search engines ?
Click to expand...
search engines exposed us to lot of related articles as well , similar to library , yo go to search for a book but you also observe some other books which might catch your attention and you might read .with chat gpt you get exact or near accurate answers which restricts one of the most human aspect "comming across new thing which might lead a person to think about it and if interest stays you think upon it leading to deep thinking /critical thinking .Its like playing puzzle or rubiks cube .some try and leave it , take time and solve it and never play and some play it competitively and have fun.


something similar is happening in modern chess and magnus to some extent right to play freestyle or very short duration of chess instead of classical . Due to computers in chess aetc
 
  • Like
Reactions: ssslayer and Futureized
Take this with a grain of salt, lads—this data is questionable.

In total, the researchers collected 936 first-hand examples of how workers reportedly used generative AI in their jobs.
However, the reliability of this data is highly doubtful.
 
Did the invention of calculators affect our ability do calculations in the head?
Did the invention of automobiles weaken the leg muscles?
Did the invention of air-conditioner reduce our tolerance to temperature/humidity changes?

Have they run out of real things to research on? Or are dumber people getting into academia?

This kind of topics should be handled by intern journalists, not CMU.
 
Last edited:
dpandey said:
Did the invention of calculators affect our ability do calculations in the head?
Did the invention of automobiles weaken the leg muscles?
Did the invention of air-conditioner reduce our tolerance to temperature/humidity changes?

Have they run out of real things to research on? Or are dumber people getting into academia?

This kind of topics should be handled by intern journalists, not CMU.
Click to expand...
The article is talking about critical thinking; the keyword here being critical. Not abstract thinking. If you are not sure about the differences between the two, see them up, instead of attacking the researchers. This is exactly why critical thinking is required because it helps you make logical decisions by assessing the information objectively, which you aren't doing here.
 
  • Like
Reactions: PunkX 75
TEUser2K1 said:
Were people dumbed down because they used search engines ?
Click to expand...
Now, that counter was actually quite dumb.
Let me explain how.

In my childhood: when people didn't know something, they used to ask elders, search for stuff in library. Didn't make them dumb.
In next generation's childhood: when they didn't know something, they used to search internet to get hold of information. Didn't make them dumb.

In today's generation: when they don't know something, they ask ChatGPT. This surely makes them dumb, because in all the previous cases there was 100% element of human intelligence and wisdom being passed from one generation to another. Elders & books included. Internet didn't change it. The website content was still made humans.

ChatGPT is generative technology. It fabricates fables based on what it thinks it knows. It is like asking a question to a dumb person who is full of confidence with his wrong interpretations and inferences. When you get educated by such a dumb person, you do tend to get dumb yourself over a period of time. Unless you wish to contradict me by saying that ChatGPT is equivalent to human beings in critical thinking.
 
People should know chatgpt is just an initial input for furthering their own search, a comprised search bot.
IF they need further information, they can again use chatgpt to take further steps and do their own deep search on internet, digital or physical libraries.
For most of basic information required general populace, chatgpt is more than enough. Those who need in-depth information already know where to look at.
Otherwise, these researchers just can't fathom that basic refined information is more easily accessible to normal people unlike earlier.
 
Last edited:
Vol-TE said:
A recent study by Microsoft and Carnegie Mellon University reveals alarming effects of generative AI on critical thinking among knowledge workers. As employees increasingly rely on AI for everyday tasks, their critical thinking skills weaken. The study, involving 319 participants from diverse fields, found that confidence in AI's capabilities directly correlates with reduced critical thinking engagement. Workers often leaned on AI for trivial tasks or under time pressure, neglecting opportunities to exercise their cognitive abilities. Researchers warn that over-reliance on automation may ultimately impair our mental agility when faced with complex challenges.

Do you think AI is hindering our cognitive skills? How can we balance AI use with critical thinking?

Source: https://www.extremetech.com/interne...ulls-your-cognitive-abilities-microsoft-finds
Click to expand...
Forming your own opinions might be a skill in future
 
  • Like
Reactions: Emperor
Top Bottom