Use It or Lose It: The Hidden Cost of AI
Hey there,
Forget what you've heard about the brain's unstoppable aging process. A new 14-year study challenges the long-standing belief that cognitive decline is inevitable with age. Staying mentally active not only slows the process — it can actually sharpen your mind. In short: use it or lose it.
The study doesn't mention AI, but the irony is impossible to miss. Just as research confirms mental engagement preserves brain health, we're outsourcing our thinking to silicon assistants. It's like discovering exercise prevents aging, then hiring someone else to do your push-ups.
We’re living through a moment where it’s tempting to outsource more than ever — writing, thinking, even decision-making. But if we hand over too much, too often, what do we risk?
For those over 40, the cost runs deeper. Relying too heavily on AI might feel efficient, but it skips the reps that keep our minds sharp, like critical thinking, storytelling, and pattern recognition. These aren’t just nice-to-haves. They’re essential to keeping our cognitive edge.
For younger generations, the challenge is different, but just as urgent. If AI becomes the default learning tool too early, we risk raising a generation that’s informed but not trained in the art of thinking — of grappling with ambiguity, wrestling with ideas, and finding their own voice.
AI is a digital Swiss Army knife — brilliantly designed but ultimately mindless. The blade doesn't care what it cuts. The tools have no purpose until a human assigns one. Forget who's in charge, and we start losing skills we’ll miss later.
Here’s my take:
Decide which skills to automate. Target the mind-numbing tasks that drain without rewarding. Automate the mechanics to unleash your attention for work no algorithm can touch. Every minute saved from drudgery is cognitive capital you can reinvest elsewhere.
Decide which skills to protect. These are the ones you enjoy, the ones that stretch you, the ones where your unique perspective matters. Here, it’s not about replacing yourself — it’s about augmenting your thinking. Use AI to push further, not shortcut the journey.
And sometimes, start with pen and paper. It slows you down enough to think clearly, connect dots, and notice what usually hides between the lines.
In a hyper-efficient world, mindful practice is rebellion. And maybe, the smartest move of all.
What human skills are you actively protecting, and how are you keeping them alive?
Stay strong,
Gus