AI Is Making Us All Dumber
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Should the U.S. start bringing troops home from Europe? I worry a lot that this is where we were headed. Trump sort of signaled it a lot during his first term. And in my conversations with European friends, I have been telling them, be ready for this because I do not think we get through four years without the United States reducing its European footprint. I'm Jake Sullivan. I'm Jake Sullivan. And I'm John Finer, and we're the hosts of The Long Game, a weekly national security podcast. This week, we debate whether the U.S. should draw down its true presence in Europe, and we break down the latest developments in the Iran war. The episode's out now. Search for and follow The Long Game wherever you get your podcasts.
Megan Rapinoe here. This week on A Touch More, I'm talking to my good friend, former soccer player and current soccer analyst, Lori Lindsey, about all things NWSL, the past, the present, and the future. Plus, I'm taking a look at the athletes who crushed at the Met Gala and Angel Reese's firm boundaries with the media. Check out the latest episode of A Touch More wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube.
Today's number... $100,000. That's how many dollars it reportedly cost to get one ticket to the Met Gala. Meanwhile, the price of a table was $350,000, or as attendees call it, half a facelift. If money is evil, then that building is hell. The show goes on! Get back in there and watch the show! Show! Welcome to Profiteer Markets. I'm Ed Elson. It is May 12th. Let's check in on yesterday's market vitals. The major indices all climbed, led by a rally in chip stocks. The S&P and the Nasdaq both hit new records. Those gains came despite President Trump's rejection of Iran's proposal to end the war. He also said the ceasefire was on, quote, massive life support. Brent crude climbed higher as hopes for peace faltered, and the yield on 10-year treasuries rose.
Okay, what else is happening? Since the 1800s, every generation has been smarter than their parents, except for Gen Z. That is what neuroscientist Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath told Congress last month. Today, 90% of college students and 84% of high schoolers use AI in class or for their homework. And according to OpenAI's own data, one of the most common use cases for AI is writing. Meanwhile, a recent study found that AI tool usage among business students was associated with weaker critical thinking skills. And this data raises an important question. And that is, what do we lose when we outsource our work and our thinking to AI? After all, 900 million people use ChatGPT every week. In other words, is AI making all of us dumber?
Now, you might remember that we discussed this question last week. We've been investigating this question a little bit more. But today we want to bring in two experts who are thinking about this, who understand these issues. So we're going to do something a little bit different. We're going to move away from the markets for today and focus on this question. So we're joined by Cal Newport, professor of computer science at Georgetown University and New York Times bestselling author of eight books, including Slow Productivity and Deep Work. And we've also got Derek Thompson, host of the Plain English podcast and author of Abundance. Cal and Derek, thank you so much for joining us. Welcome to the show. Cal, I'm going to start with you because you have written about this and you've talked about this idea of cognitive fitness and this potential reality that it's in decline.
What do you make of what's happening on the ground in terms of AI usage and what it's actually doing to our brains?
Well, I think AI has the real capacity to make us dumber. It's new enough and usage of it is still growing that we're not seeing the major effects yet, but I fear that we are going to see it. And the way I conceptualize this world of cognitive fitness is that social media and highly engaging tools on our phones started this trend. It moved us away from more sustained concentrated activities through which we strengthen our brain.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–10:45
2
What are the potential downsides of AI on human intelligence?
10:45–11:40
3
How is AI currently being used by students in education?
11:40–19:31
4
What concerns do experts have about AI's impact on cognitive fitness?
19:31–26:47
5
How does AI affect our ability to think critically?
26:47–34:06
Speakers
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