Is AI Degrading Critical Thinking?

By MARTHA LEAH NANGALAMA | 8 July 2025

I’ve been an Artificial Intelligence (AI) enthusiast from the start. Back when ChatGPT first launched, I was using it to plan meals, generate grocery lists with nutrient breakdowns, and even track store discounts. It was like having a personal assistant who never slept.

Then I met Copilot. Now we chat daily—about everything from weather and world events to literature, investing, parenting, and politics. It’s like having a super-intelligent friend who always has time for me.

AI has made life easier. It’s creating new job opportunities in tech and automation. It’s eliminating repetitive tasks that humans probably shouldn’t be doing anyway. It’s simplifying everything.

But here’s the twist: I’ve realized I don’t research anymore. I don’t write. I don’t analyze. I just ask—and answers appear. Fast. Accurate. Effortless.

And that’s the problem.

I’m still trying to use the last few cells in my brain, but AI is making it too easy not to. Critical thinking? Optional. Problem-solving? Outsourced. Curiosity? On autopilot.

Meanwhile, AI is fueling academic cheating, generating fake content, and even being used for blackmail. It’s not just changing how we live—it’s changing how we think. Or rather, how little we need to.

And let’s be clear: AI is not a doctor. Please don’t trust it with your health. Go see a real human.

So yes, AI is brilliant. But it’s also quietly rewiring us. And that’s worth thinking about—while we still can.

**By the way, COPILOT helped me to write this**