Have you ever been in a situation where you get home late, it’s already starting to get dark outside, and your energy levels are depreciating at a rapid pace? The first thought that comes to mind when you sit down to get your tasks done is probably, “I just can’t be bothered to do this”.
I have certainly found myself in this situation and I’m most certain you have too.
With the world constantly improving and developing, we are no longer as dependent on Google, but instead, the new esteemed “ChatGPT”. In the moment, we don’t consider the long-term damages when typing out “ChatGPT” into our search bars. All we consider in the moment is the convenience and ease of it. We just must tell it exactly what we are too lazy to do, and click send, and there you go; lengths of words and letters, not of your own, are neatly displayed in front of you. But this seemingly easy, simple, and convenient way of getting things “done” has more damaging effects than we considered.
When learning in school, the act of taking the time to think and consider problems before answering them is a specific skill we develop over time. When you stop to think before doing something, your brain uses a network of control areas. The prefrontal cortex at the front of your brain helps you plan, make decisions, and keep goals in mind. The anterior cingulate cortex checks for mistakes or conflicts and helps you stay focused. The motor planning areas then prepare your body to act, and the basal ganglia help choose and start the right action. Together, these parts let you pause, think carefully, and then do the task in a smart, controlled way.
Using AI to solve problems for you can make learning faster and easier, but if it’s used too often, it might reduce how much your prefrontal cortex is activated during thinking and planning. This area of the brain gets stronger the more you use it (this applies to every part of the brain as well) – especially when you solve problems, make decisions, and plan steps yourself. When AI tools take over those processes, your brain may not get as much practice in critical thinking, working memory, and self-control. Over time, this could make it harder to fully develop the skill of “thinking before doing.” However, if AI is used as a support tool (emphasis on the “support) – for example, to check answers for a maths problem, explain how you the mark scheme ended up getting that number, or to inspire ideas – it can still help strengthen these thinking systems rather than completely replace them.
So, it isn’t necessarily that AI shouldn’t be used full stop. We need to learn ways to manipulate and use AI to our benefit, as a support system. We should start worrying when we solely rely and become dependent on AI for everything.
So, with this different perspective of the use of AI, I hope you have taken into consideration that we should use ChatGPT to benefit us, rather than hinder our learning. We need to maintain this skill of “thinking before doing” to grow and improve ourselves for the present, and ultimately the future.
