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Is AI Making Us Stupid?

The Guardian

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Details

Date Published
1 Dec 2025
Priority Score
2
Australian
No
Created
2 Dec 2025, 10:59 am

Authors (4)

Description

Artificial intelligence can execute tasks in seconds that once took humans hours, if not days to complete. While this may be great for productivity, some researchers are concerned that our increasing use of AI could be impacting our ability to tackle difficult problems and think critically. To find out where the science stands, and how worried we should be about the potential of AI to change how we think, Ian Sample hears from Madeleine Finlay and Sam Gilbert, professor of neuroscience at University College London

Summary

The podcast examines whether AI's increasing ability to quickly execute complex tasks might be negatively impacting human critical thinking and problem-solving skills. It features insights from Sam Gilbert, a neuroscience professor at University College London, exploring the scientific understanding of AI's influence on human cognition. While the discussion highlights potential impacts on cognitive abilities, it does not directly address existential or catastrophic AI risks. The topic is relevant to global considerations on how society might adapt to AI's integration, especially in education and workforce dynamics, though not specifically focused on safety or governance frameworks.

Body

Is AI making us stupid? – podcast00:00:0000:00:00Artificial intelligence can execute tasks in seconds that once took humans hours, if not days to complete. While this may be great for productivity, some researchers are concerned that our increasing use of AI could be impacting our ability to tackle difficult problems and think critically. To find out where the science stands, and how worried we should be about the potential of AI to change how we think, Ian Sample hears from Madeleine Finlay and Sam Gilbert, professor of neuroscience at University College LondonAre we living in a golden age of stupidity?Watch Life Invisible, the Guardian’s new documentary about the hunt for life saving antibiotics in Chile’s Atacama DesertSupport the GuardianPhotograph: Caia Image/AlamyExplore more on these topicsScienceScience WeeklyArtificial intelligence (AI)ComputingMemory