AI-Assisted Cognition Endangers Human Development
Cognition with the help of AI is already a significant force in our world 1 , resulting in humanity-sized missed opportunities and risks. In this article, we will explore the risks of AI-assisted cognition and how to use these tools without falling into the trap of intellectual stagnation.
To understand what AI-assisted cognition is, we first need to understand what cognition is.
“Cognitions are mental processes that deal with knowledge. They encompass psychological activities that acquire, store, retrieve, transform, or apply information. Cognitions are a pervasive part of mental life, helping individuals understand and interact with the world.” Q: Wikipedia
Cognition can be assisted by external static information or external cognition. For example, most people would put a book into the category of external static information and a discussion about a topic with another human, because humans think and process information themselves, into the external cognition category.
But where do discussions with AIs fit in? They are able to process information that can result in original solutions 2 , but they are still static and currently cannot learn 3 .
How AI decelerates the evolution of ideas, culture and knowledge