Today, AI helps me study, explore and go deeper. Many fear that using AI will weaken our ability to think. Part of me agrees. But the real question is not whether we use AI. It is how, and how consciously.
Two mistakes I see everywhere
1. Letting AI do the work for us. If we delegate the cognitive effort, we also cancel the learning. No effort, no neuroplasticity. Growth requires friction.
2. Treating AI summaries as primary sources. A summary of a summary is not knowledge. It is processed content, often built on weak or second-hand sources. If you ask AI for research, ask it for the sources, then read them yourself.
Learning lives in the “desirable difficulty” zone: hard enough to stretch you, not so hard that you give up.
How I actually use AI to learn
I use AI as a tutor, not a substitute. I do not ask it to summarise what I have not read. I use it to:
- Discuss ideas I have already studied
- Challenge my reasoning
- Generate metaphors that help me understand faster
- Translate concepts across domains or languages
- Explore different perspectives on something I already have an opinion about
AI is a tool. The hype will pass. Your curiosity and passions are what matter. Fall in love with the goal, not the tool. And protect what makes us human: creativity and critical thinking.