With AI tools like ChatGPT, Copilot and Midjourney becoming everyday companions in professional and personal workflows, concerns are rising: Are we growing intellectually lazy or simply evolving the way we think?
Recent headlines have questioned whether AI is weakening human intelligence, suggesting that our dependence on generative tools may be dulling our creativity, judgment and even our grasp on truth. But members of the Senior Executive AI Think Tank—a curated group of innovation leaders working across enterprise, startups and emerging technologies—see a more nuanced picture. These experts argue that AI is not inherently diminishing our intelligence, but rather changing how we apply it. The key, they say, lies in how we use it.
“The future won’t reward those who use AI the most; it will reward those who use it most wisely.”
AI Isn’t Making Us Dumber—But It Is Changing How We Think
According to Sarah Choudhary, CEO of Ice Innovations, “AI isn’t erasing human intelligence, it’s relocating it.” As we offload rote tasks like memory recall, content generation and even basic coding to machines, we create new room to elevate our thinking toward strategy, ethics and creativity.
Aravind Nuthalapati, Cloud Technology Leader for Data and AI at Microsoft, agrees. He draws parallels to the rise of the calculator: “Just as calculators shifted our focus from arithmetic to complex problem-solving, AI invites us to elevate our thinking from routine tasks to strategic creativity and deeper analysis.”
“Treat AI as a collaborative partner—use it for inspiration, but keep final judgment human.”
The Real Risk? Turning Off Your Brain
Yet the convenience of AI can easily tempt us into mental autopilot.
Charles Yeomans, CEO and Founder of Atombeam, cautions against treating AI output as fact: “LLMs can output grammatically perfect, authoritative and logically structured responses, but they could still be factually wrong. The moment you rely on an LLM without verifying its output, you risk an embarrassing reality check.”
That overreliance is already happening, says Soner Baburoglu, President of SonerB. “People are becoming increasingly consumer-centric, not only by relying on AI tools, but also by losing touch with real life and failing to grasp the deeper stories behind the facts.” He warns that the gap between those who create and those who merely consume will widen dramatically over the next five years.
“While AI can supercharge ideation, we shouldn’t outsource our critical thinking to it.”
How to Treat AI Like a Thinking Partner (Not Your Boss)
For AI to enhance human cognition rather than dull it, we must treat it as augmentation—not automation.
As Mo Ezderman, Director of AI at MindGrub Technologies, puts it: “While AI can supercharge ideation, we shouldn’t outsource our critical thinking to it.” He suggests treating AI as a brainstorming partner: Use it to spark ideas, but always approach outputs with a critical eye.
Yeomans echoes this: “AI should stretch your thinking, not shrink it. Use it to enhance cognition—but don’t turn yours off.”
6 Ways to Keep Your Brain Sharp in an AI-Powered World
To build a healthy relationship with AI, the experts recommend these practical strategies:
- Use AI for inspiration, not decision-making: Leverage AI to explore possibilities, but keep final interpretation and judgment human. AI can surface options, but it can’t weigh ethics, nuance or emotional impact.
- Create “AI-free zones” for deep thinking: Choudhary suggests carving out AI-free blocks of time in your day to promote undistracted thought. “Create time for divergent thinking without prompts,” she says.
- Always verify the output: Yeomans emphasizes treating AI-generated content as drafts. “Especially in scientific, legal or financial settings, verify everything.”
- Ask better questions: Choudhary believes AI’s greatest value emerges when we design more insightful prompts. Don’t just ask AI to answer—ask it to challenge you.
- Focus on building digital literacy: Nuthalapati urges professionals to actively cultivate digital literacy alongside critical thinking and creative inquiry. “Treat AI as a collaborative partner,” he advises.
- Avoid becoming a passive consumer: Baburoglu warns against allowing AI to do all the thinking. “The same people who now benefit from AI are using it to bypass real learning and understanding,” he says. Don’t be one of them.
What We Know
This concern isn’t theoretical—it’s measurable. This MIT Sloan study suggests that while AI improves productivity for low-performers, it may decrease critical engagement among high-performers who become too trusting.
Meanwhile, companies like Deloitte and McKinsey are advocating for structured AI literacy programs across industries, training employees not just on how to use AI—but when not to.
As tools become more sophisticated, the temptation to disengage will only grow. But the experts agree: Our cognitive edge lies in staying actively involved, constantly curious and ethically grounded. As Choudhary puts it: “The future won’t reward those who use AI the most; it will reward those who use it most wisely.”
