But as AI becomes more deeply woven into everyday life, some researchers have begun to ask: could relying too much on this technology slowly weaken our ability to think for ourselves?
According to Time, several recent studies suggest that excessive dependence on AI tools may affect memory, persistence and critical thinking.
One study published earlier this year by researchers in the United States and United Kingdom found that people who used AI assistance for just 10 minutes performed worse when later asked to complete similar tasks on their own.
Participants also became more likely to give up on difficult questions quickly.
The researchers warned that while AI tools are designed to support people, over-reliance on them could gradually erode important human capabilities.
Another study led by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that people who used ChatGPT to help write essays struggled to remember what they had written just minutes later.
They also performed worse when later asked to write without AI assistance.
Researchers are particularly concerned about children and students whose cognitive abilities are still developing. They posit that constantly turning to AI for answers may reduce opportunities for young people to practise important mental skills such as reasoning, memory, focus and independent thought.
Kristy Armitage, a research fellow at the University of Queensland in Australia, cautioned that children could be more vulnerable to the effects of “cognitive offloading” because their brains are still developing.
“It feels as if we’re entering a qualitatively different era with AI,” she told Time. “There are clear indications that people are using it to bypass the need to develop new skill sets, write assignments, or make complex decisions.”
Still, not everyone thinks AI is necessarily harmful. Sam Gilbert, a senior research fellow at University College London, argued that while people may rely less on certain skills, they may also have more time on hand to develop new ones.
He also pointed out that older technologies such as calculators once sparked similar fears before eventually becoming accepted learning tools.
“We found that you need an independent phase where you first learnt without them,” he said, referring to calculators. “The argument is that you need to build foundational skills before bringing in technology, and I think that might be similar with AI.”
Others believe the bigger danger lies not in artificial intelligence itself, but in how people choose to use it.
Michael Gerlich, a professor at SBS Swiss Business School and author of “The Convenience Trap”, told Time that many students and professionals now rely on AI chatbots for “anything and everything”, creating what he calls an “AI-trust spiral”.
“The more I use AI, the more I trust it, the more work I offload to it, and the less critical I become of what it tells me over time,” he said.
Ultimately, experts believe AI can be beneficial when used thoughtfully, such as for brainstorming ideas, checking blind spots, or exploring alternative perspectives.
The challenge, they stress, is making sure convenience does not come at the expense of curiosity, creativity and independent thought.