In 2008, Nicholas Carr asked, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” The internet reacted strongly. However, this worry isn’t new. When cameras were invented, people feared we would lose our ability to imagine and draw. When phones became common, many were concerned about the decline of face-to-face conversations (they had a point with that one).

But AI surpasses those concerns. It doesn’t just change how we access information or communicate; it might be altering how we think. It raises the question whether we will even bother to think at all. 

Critical thinking isn’t just a skill you can afford to lose, like knowing how to use a rotary phone or fold a fitted sheet. It’s essential for functioning in society, much like speech, property rights, or knowing not to microwave metal. You need critical thinking for decision-making, problem-solving, securing a decent job, achieving academic success, and basically everything that involves being a competent person who knows about having a life. 

Without it, you are like a compass without a needle. You remain an object, yet you are highly ineffective at your main purpose. You may find yourself relying on AI for the one task where you should succeed: thinking for yourself.