We Are Losing Natural Intelligence to the AI Craze

September 21, 2026 - 21:57

I have a theory about the artificial intelligence craze that delights some and scares others. It is that we are losing natural intelligence and thus risk seduction by something that can do the thinking for us.

The promise sounds appealing. A machine that writes essays, solves equations, and answers questions in seconds. But education was never just about producing answers. It was about the slow, often frustrating process of learning how to think. That process builds judgment, patience, and the ability to sit with a problem long enough to understand it.

When students hand over that work to software, they skip the struggle. And the struggle is where real learning happens. A tool that finishes the task removes the very friction that makes knowledge stick.

There is also a deeper worry. If we stop exercising our own minds, we may forget how to question what a machine tells us. We may accept polished output without asking whether it is true, fair, or wise.

Artificial intelligence can be a useful assistant. It should not become a substitute for the human work of education. Schools and universities need to teach students how to use these tools critically, not depend on them completely. The goal is not to ban technology. The goal is to protect the thinking that technology cannot replace.