AI is making you slow and stupid: How artificial intelligence causes detrimental effects on productivity and learning

Much has been said about the upsides of artificial intelligence (AI), which is designed to enhance efficiency, eliminate human error and improve decision-making. Humanoid robots may help us do tedious chores at home in the future, while one AI-focused company plans on “putting the power of superintelligence in people’s hands to direct it to what they value in their own lives.”

However, many are concerned, rightly or wrongly, about losing their job because of AI, which is also being linked to rising electricity bills.

Studies show detrimental effect of AI on creativity and learning

Additionally, a number of studies have been carried out to determine the connection between AI use and creativity and learning, with the results of two such papers discussed on The Intelligence Podcast from The Economist.

The first came in the form of an MIT paper, which some students were asked to complete a series of essay writing tasks with the help of AI, while others did them alone without any assistance. As explained by Alex Hern, The Economist’s AI writer, those aided by AI produced “subpar” essays, with the study also showing they didn’t use the ‘creative’ parts of their brains nearly as much as students who completed their writing tasks independently.

A second piece of research carried out by METR, an AI research group, analyzed how much AI coding assistants helped speed up the productivity of very experienced open-source developers. The developers imagined AI would allow them to work approximately 20% more quickly, but actually discovered it slowed them down by between 10 and 40%. “They spent so much time tinkering with the AI assistant, correcting mistakes and trying to work out the best way to prompt it, that they spent more time doing the task than they would’ve unaided,” Hern reports.

Will AI become a cognitive replacement? “Genuine concern for the future”

What does it all mean, then?

AI, in its current form, is “going to produce slop” if you ask it to produce an academic essay, according to Hern. “We’re not yet at the position where it’s a cognitive replacement.”

The “genuine concern for the future,” however, is what happens if, as is expected, the technology develops to a point where it is capable of carrying out such a task as well as, or even better than, a skilled human.

“Do people who are using AI assistants use it to help them or does it just do the task entirely?” Hern asks. “If it’s the latter, what is actually left of the human intellect to flourish in the gaps created by that AI help? Thinking about what it would look like if AI becomes a cognitive replacement might prepare us for the very different world that could be coming.”

Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.

Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.