3 ways to save yourself from AI’s critical thinking decline

Anyone who has used AI for more than a passing prompt knows intuitively what researchers are now documenting in full detail: The more we lean on generative AI to think for us, the less capable our own brains seem to become.

What was once hailed as the great equalizer is suddenly looking more like the great suppressor, given how AI is changing not just how and what we remember, but whether we even bother thinking in the first place.

The allure and modern necessity of cognitive offloading

Cognitive offloading is the term psychologists use for passing mental tasks onto external systems.

It’s by no means a new concept. You could argue that the practice began the moment we first began pressing reed styluses against clay tablets thousands of years ago. Then came phones, calendars, and Google, which has now taken that load off our neurons entirely. Nobody mourns the loss of knowing Aunt Mary’s landline by heart.

That kind of offloading was mostly harmless, and in many cases entirely beneficial, given how offloading freed us for more complex reasoning. In fact, there are precious few parts of our modern societies that would continue operating were the cognitive load returned to us entirely.

But generative AI has changed the equation completely. Instead of just remembering for us, it now writes for us, reasons for us, and in some cases even decides for us. Research is starting to show the cost.

The price of cognitive offloading is becoming clear

The brain craves convenience but it grows on challenge, with cognitive function being the ultimate use-it-or-lose-it deal.

Consider a recent study by Michael Gerlich and colleagues at SBS Swiss Business School. They surveyed over 600 participants and found a significant negative correlation between frequent AI use and critical thinking ability. In plain English, this means that the more we rely on AI, the less sharp our own thinking becomes. Cognitive offloading has jumped the tracks from convenience to codependency.

Another team, led by Hao-Ping Lee at Carnegie Mellon and Advait Sarkar at Microsoft Research, explored how knowledge workers actually feel about their thinking when using generative AI. Their finding was equally stark. Confidence in AI is linked to doing less critical thinking, while confidence in one’s own ability predicts doing more. In other words, the more you trust the machine, the less you think for yourself.

These findings raise a disturbing question: How are we supposed to compete in the workplace if AI is not only automating our output, but also eroding the very skills we need to stay valuable? The answer lies in deliberately reclaiming some of the habits that keep critical thinking alive. Here are three research-backed ways to do just that:

1. Don’t just consume what you’re given; embrace the art of debating

There’s an old saying that the best way to sharpen a blade is against another.

The same seems to be true for thought. A recent study of Boston Public Schools found that students who participated in interscholastic policy debate showed significant improvements in English Language Arts scores, equivalent to about two-thirds of a full year of ninth-grade learning. The gains weren’t in rote skills, but in analytical abilities, the very foundation of critical thinking (Schueler & Larned, 2023).

The effect stems from how debate forces us to stress-test our ideas against other perspectives, refine our arguments, and, critically, listen. When students approach texts with the intent to debate and to truly understand and anticipate the counterpoints of others, they read more critically, retain more, and engage with the material at a deeper level.

Think of it as a gym for the mind where we’re sparring, not brawling. Treat every AI draft as an opening statement, not a final word, and your AI use will sharpen your cognitive skills instead of dulling them.

2. Wax philosophical (seriously)

If debate is sparring with a willing partner, philosophy is a marathon run immediately after a triathlon.

Few disciplines demand as much sustained, precise, and open-ended reasoning, with nothing but intellectual rewards on offer. For years, defenders of philosophy have argued that it cultivates “valuable habits of mind” like curiosity and open-mindedness. But until recently, hard data was scarce, and the philosophers’ claims little else than braggadocio.

That changed with a massive study published in 2025 by Michael Prinzing and Michael Vazquez. Drawing on records from more than 600,000 undergraduates, they compared philosophy majors against every other field. After controlling for baseline differences, they found that philosophy students outperformed all others on verbal and logical reasoning tests and on measures of intellectual dispositions.

In other words, studying philosophy does more than simply attract the naturally curious and sharp students. It actively makes them better thinkers, with more pronounced impacts on those who start on lower baselines.

So if you want to preserve your edge in the AI age, do as Marcus Aurelius did. Practice philosophy as in meditation, using it as a way of keeping your mind supple, curious, and resilient.

3. Embrace creative problem-solving to raise your effective IQ

A little-known experiment in 1970s Yugoslavia, led by educator R. Kvashchev, offers the third antidote.

Over three years, students trained intensively in creative problem-solving across 28 different applications, and as a result, their IQs rose by an average of 10 points compared to peers. Lazar Stankov and Jihyun Lee recently revisited the data, and they confirmed that extended training in creative problem-solving really does seem to increase both fluid and crystallized intelligence.

If the data truly holds water, that’s a staggering finding that has significant implications in the age of AI. Instead of enrolling in a years-long program in Belgrade, the same benefits are within reach by seeking out creative challenges deliberately.

Curiosity keeps your neurons limber, and in turn, strengthens the very critical faculties AI threatens to erode, which is why we need to embrace it with intention.

Your future self, and maybe even your job, will thank you.