Is Artificial Intelligence Hindering Creative Thinking?
As artificial intelligence tools rapidly become part of daily life, serious debates are emerging about their effects on human intelligence. Generative AI systems, in particular, take on complex cognitive tasks, relieving us of mental effort. However, according to Robert Sternberg, a psychologist at Cornell University, the real danger is not that AI might threaten our intelligence, but that it already has.
Experts suggest that while AI can enhance individual creativity in specific tasks, it also poses a risk of reducing idea diversity across society. When our brain solves a problem, it triggers reward mechanisms that fuel motivation and learning. By outsourcing these cognitive processes to AI, those neural reward systems can become less active, ultimately diminishing our drive for discovery and learning over time.
Research shows that critical thinking and creativity flourish only through active mental engagement. Yet the ready-made answers provided by AI tools can weaken our natural impulse to question and explore, undermining deep learning processes. That’s why developing skills such as intuition, reasoning, and independent thinking is now more crucial than ever, especially for children and young people.
The real question we should ask is not what AI can do for us, but how we choose to interact with it. Maintaining originality, preserving a critical mindset, and building a conscious relationship with AI are no longer optional — they are essential.
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