I recently read this article from MIT Labs - Your Brain on ChatGPT: Accumulation of Cognitive Debt when Using an AI Assistant for Essay Writing Task and it made me pause and ask some questions about my AI usage. I use LLMs a lot. In fact I use it for work and make a living using LLMs.
So reading a study that says
using AI tools like ChatGPT too much—especially for things like writing essays—can make your brain less active, hurt your memory, and make it harder to learn in the long run
makes me question a lot of things. That being said, after the initial shock and queasiness, I realized that this isn’t new. Humans have been outsourcing their abilities for thousands of years.
The Long History of Human Outsourcing
Long before smartphones ever existed, we were already trading skills for tools:
10,000 years ago - Agriculture:
Gained: Stable food supply, population growth, civilization, art, science, medicine
Lost: Wild survival skills
2,000 years ago - Writing:
Gained: Preserved knowledge across generations, laws, literature, science, education for masses
Lost: Extraordinary memory abilities
500 years ago - Navigation tools:
Gained: Global exploration, trade, cultural exchange, accurate maps
Lost: Natural navigation skills
150 years ago - Machines:
Gained: Longer lifespans, less backbreaking labor, education opportunities, modern medicine
Lost: Physical strength and manual skills
Each leap follows the same rhythm: transformative gains that improved human life, alongside subtle losses in foundational capacities
The AI Chapter of an Ancient Story
What I am realizing is that today’s AI revolution isn’t brand new—it’s speeding up a millennia-old pattern.
Calculators made us forget mental math (1980s)
Spell-check made us forget spelling and grammar (2000s)
Search engines made us forget facts (2000s)
GPS made us forget directions (2010s)
Smartphones made us forget phone numbers, addresses, and how to be bored (2010s)
AI is making us forget how to think, write, and solve problems (2020s)
What History Teaches Us
This long arc tells us something crucial: outsourcing isn’t inherently good or bad. It’s how we do it that counts.
Healthy outsourcing looks like:
Farmers using plows after understanding soil and seasons
Navigators using maps after mastering basic orientation
Engineers using calculators after grasping mathematical principles
Unhealthy outsourcing looks like:
Relying on GPS everywhere without ever learning your own neighborhood
Using a calculator to add 7 + 5
Asking ChatGPT to think instead of thinking with ChatGPT
The Simple Test Our Ancestors Knew
Traditional cultures got this intuitively. They taught kids to do things the hard way first—hunt before farming, memorize before writing, calculate before using tools.
The rule: master the foundation before embracing shortcuts.
Here’s a modern twist on that wisdom. Before you outsource, ask yourself:
Can I still do this myself if the tool disappeared?
Am I using this to amplify my ability or replace it?
What am I gaining, and what am I giving up?
Reclaiming Agency in the Age of AI
Rejecting AI isn't the answer—our ancestors didn't reject their new tools, and neither should we. The key is conscious AI use.
That might mean:
Thinking through a problem before asking AI for solutions
Writing your own first draft before asking AI to improve it
Forming your own opinion before asking AI to analyze a topic
Trying to recall information before searching or asking AI
Having real conversations about ideas instead of just consuming AI-generated content
These aren't just productivity tips—they're about preserving our capacity to think, create, and understand independently.
The Timeless Tension
Every generation wrestles with the same choice: embrace tools that make life easier, or keep the abilities that make life meaningful.
Farmers who forgot foraging. Sailors who forgot stars. Craftsmen who forgot handwork. Each chose convenience—and lost something irreplaceable.
Now, we’re making similar choices about how we think, create, and solve problems.
The real question isn’t whether to use AI—it’s whether to let AI use us.
What have you outsourced lately? What do you want to reclaim?