In an era where artificial intelligence is quickly transforming the business landscape, my team and I recently embarked on projects that have raised fundamental questions about our relationship with technology. Commissioned by clients to devise AI models that emulate human tasks—copywriting and basic risk analysis, to name a few—our mission was clear: enhance productivity and expedite workflow.
While I watched AI learn, adapt, and take on tasks once performed by humans, an unsettling question began to form: As artificial intelligence continues to shoulder more of our load, are we inadvertently encouraging a shift from diligence and intellectual rigor to laziness and complacency?
It seems I’m not alone in asking this question. In a 2015 article, biopsychologist Nigel Barber predicted that our increasing reliance on automation and artificial intelligence could result in a decline in human intelligence. He likened this to how the industrial revolution led to people being less physically active and gaining weight as machines replaced manual labor.
In his commentary eight years ago, Barber noted that AI is becoming deeply ingrained in daily life, with intelligent machines surpassing human performance in various areas, including those once thought uniquely human. He states that as artificial intelligence evolves, it could act as a digital butler, taking over complex tasks such as planning and organizing. This could lead to less mental effort from humans, causing our cognitive abilities to decline over time, in what Barber refers to as an “aristocratic fog”.
“ The more we rely on AI to handle our work, the less we engage in the thought processes that underline these tasks. ”
Another interesting piece that echoes my concerns is a recent study conducted on groups of Chinese and Pakistani university students. It has found that AI significantly contributes to increased laziness, raises personal privacy and security concerns, and leads to a loss of decision-making skills.
As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly integrated into our workflow, completing tasks with an efficiency and precision that in some cases vastly surpass human capability, it’s tempting to step back and let the machines take over. Why bother perfecting a piece of writing when an AI model can generate polished content in seconds? Why spend hours analyzing risk data when AI can do the same in a fraction of time? On the surface, the shift appears to be a victory for productivity. But beneath a shiny veneer of efficiency, a concerning trend emerges.
The more we rely on AI to handle our work, the less we engage in the thought processes that underline these tasks. Our mental muscles, much like physical ones, operate on a “use it or lose it” principle. When AI takes over, the intellectual effort we put into our work diminishes. The cost of this increasing mental atrophy is twofold. First, our skills start to rust by lack of use. Second, over-reliance on AI may gradually lull us into complacency, making us intellectually lazy. We are unwittingly trading intellectual rigor and diligence for convenience and an easy way out.
Read: Are the robots coming for us? AI knows.
The risk is that over time complacency can develop into dependency. What started as a tool to enhance productivity and make our lives easier, may inadvertently become a crutch we can’t operate without. Consequently, an environment that relies too heavily on AI to function can foster a workforce that, while technically proficient, lacks the intellectual agility to innovate, adapt and overcome challenges.
In this scenario, it’s not just humans who suffer, but AI as well. As I have pointed out, artificial intelligence can only thrive if it is fed quality, human-made (or human-vetted) content. If both AI and humans deteriorate, we may face a truly bleak future.
“ Whatever AI does, humans will have to do better. ”
It doesn’t have to be this way. There may still be light at the end of the tunnel, a chance for both humans and AI to thrive. The key is to understand that AI is a tool to amplify human ingenuity, not to replace it. As one of my readers put it: “Competitive intelligence is the answer. Whatever AI does, humans will have to do better. That fact alone makes AI worth having. It’s not a dumbing down, but an aggregate intellectual uplift. “
Jeet Mukerji, the lead AI product manager at Beamery, echoes the sentiment in his interview with IT Pro: “AI has the potential to make us lazy in the workplace if we agree on three things. The first is that the original work, now done by AI, is worth mastering by humans. We choose to not do this, however, so will eventually lose this skill set — empathizing, or doing mental math, for example.
“Secondly, we choose to consistently spend the time and energy, freed up by AI, in lower value moments such as deciding to scroll social media without an aim rather than read a book or to learn a new skill.
“Finally, we choose to not understand the limits of AI we are using, expect too much of it, shirk our responsibility fully on it and don’t engage the outputs of the AI correctly — by this I mean we think it is incapable of error, so don’t sense check the outputs.”
Mukerji adds that the laziness issue isn’t just tied to AI — it’s more about teaching ourselves to be productive humans. Recognizing this, it becomes evident that the threat of laziness and complacency emerging from AI reliance can be mitigated with conscious effort, personal discipline, and a commitment to lifelong learning.
ChatGPT chimes in
What does ChatGPT think about this? To keep the response as unbiased as possible, I made my AI prompt simple: Is AI making us lazy? Explain.
Here’s ChatGPT’s take: “AI’s impact on human behavior is a nuanced issue. While some argue that AI makes us lazy by automating tasks and providing excessive convenience, it’s important to consider the positive aspects. AI can enhance productivity by automating mundane tasks and freeing up time for more complex activities.
“However, reliance on AI for instant answers and sedentary lifestyles can contribute to laziness. Ultimately, the impact of AI on laziness depends on individual choices and responsible use. Striking a balance between leveraging AI’s benefits while actively engaging in personal growth is key.”
There you have it. Humans agree. AI agrees. Our goal should not be to outrun AI or to let it outrun us, but to run with it, side by side. To use it as a catalyst that encourages us to continually step up, challenge ourselves and push the boundaries of what’s possible.
Our journey with AI is just beginning, and it’s up to us how we shape it. The potential is immense. The challenges are real. But if we approach this journey with wisdom, foresight and a relentless commitment to human growth and innovation, we stand a chance of building a future for AI and humans alike.
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