4 ms·

Does ChatGPT make us dumber?

13 points by bohdank 2y ago

wdmytriy 2y ago
I feel dumb already, nowhere to fall
ensocode 2y ago
For me GPS definitely reduced my ability to find my way and the same should be true for AI. I think it could lead to reduced critical thinking. Frequent use of ChatGPT for quick answers may reduce opportunities to practice critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Also passive learning might be an issue. Relying on AI for information without actively engaging with the material could lead to superficial understanding. Easy access to information might reduce the need to memorize facts, potentially affecting long-term retention. The same for writing and research. Generating text or conducting research might diminish one's ability to perform these tasks independently. On the other hand it's true for almost all technology so we might have more headspace for other problems.
- beardyw 2y ago
  Interesting comment about GPS. I find I learn a lot because I always check the route it chooses, and often find possibilities I didn't consider. I think GPS is different to AI because it calculates from a well defined set of parameters. AI on the other hand regurgitates other people's work without having any actual knowledge at all.
greekanalyst 2y ago
"I hope we will make AI push us to think more, not less. And through more thinking, we will create new, original approaches or solutions to old but very important problems." I want to be positive, but I am not as optimistic as the dear writer. I fear that our ability of long-term critical thinking will suffer. We already see that happening in the age of dopamine-fueled, short-form content. The average attention span is becoming shorter but the ability to rationalize effectively does not become faster. Adding AI into the mix, the next 50 years will be very interesting for the Gen Z world.
reify 2y ago
Education at degree level is a self learning process. You read, you discover, you clarify, you expand, you think for yourself, you find your own way, you discover your own views, uncover your own theory on the topic you study. You own what you learn. An integration of the accumulated knowledge. Like the four stages of competence: Unconscious incompetence Conscious incompetence Conscious competence Unconscious competence AI cannot replace this process.
eugenepl 2y ago
Using AI as a coach or mentor shapes your thinking process significantly because AI internal rules and censorship (which we don't even know) impact its answers, your outputs and, consequently,... your future O_o
- LeafItAlone 2y ago
  And how is this different from a human teacher?
- wdh505 2y ago
  Due to the high cost of therapy. I expect several people who use therapists for ideas about their situation would do well with sending a long form prompt to chat gpt and asking for therapeutic ideas. Certainly cheaper than 100-250 per session with a therapist that isn't making progress.
sim7c00 2y ago
Pointing at tech and blaming it for degrading the human condition is refusing to take responsibility of your own predicament. (not saying anyone here is doing it - it's a generalization!) People who get 'dumber' from technologies, like GPS mentioned by a commenter (nice example), but also auto-correct, intellisense and such helpertools, they choose themselves the path of least resistance, and least learning. Arguably, they are already dumb, as they choose themselves not to learn. It's all ok, i would say there's no rule that forces people to learn or be smart. But if you do want to learn, avoid using technologies _constantly_ which hamper your learning. In the end, be responsible for yourself, and don't blame external things from preventing you to do things while you choose yourself to engage with them. (if it's not by choice, it'd be a different case perhaps, but no one is forcing anyone to use AI....)
- leourbina 2y ago
  I’d take a slightly different perspective. I’d like to think that these tools are in some ways “humanizing” - we can offload things that we’re not particularly good at (like memorization tasks) and instead we can use our capacities to do things that (at least for now) we humans are uniquely capable of doing. As an example: Back in the 90’s people knew many phone numbers by heart, nowadays I don’t think people know more than a handful, if that. Does that mean that “phone contacts” are making us dumber? Or perhaps we can use the time/effort/capacity to better use.
  - sim7c00 2y ago
    I do agree that we might want to offload mundane and boring / repetitive tasks which do not add value to our lives. But this 'value' is a personal and subjective thing, so it's hard to give a recipe there which will fit everyone. Hence I think its important for people to be educated in how to maintain this balance of easy-life vs. hard-life to optimise for their own life what they will get from it. I for example do not use intellisense nor auto-correct. (i do make a lot of spelling mistakes!). I want to learn to program, so intellisense will break that learning. I do not want to 'produce programs' - for which intellisense is _super good_ as it will increase productivity a lot. I know most people make the tradeoff the other way, as they prefer productivity over learning.
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
kelseyfrog 2y ago
Yes, in the same way that Socrates said the same thing about writing.

13 points by bohdank 2y ago

I feel dumb already, nowhere to fall

For me GPS definitely reduced my ability to find my way and the same should be true for AI. I think it could lead to reduced critical thinking. Frequent use of ChatGPT for quick answers may reduce opportunities to practice critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Also passive learning might be an issue. Relying on AI for information without actively engaging with the material could lead to superficial understanding. Easy access to information might reduce the need to memorize facts, potentially affecting long-term retention. The same for writing and research. Generating text or conducting research might diminish one's ability to perform these tasks independently. On the other hand it's true for almost all technology so we might have more headspace for other problems.

beardyw 2y ago
Interesting comment about GPS. I find I learn a lot because I always check the route it chooses, and often find possibilities I didn't consider. I think GPS is different to AI because it calculates from a well defined set of parameters. AI on the other hand regurgitates other people's work without having any actual knowledge at all.

greekanalyst 2y ago

"I hope we will make AI push us to think more, not less. And through more thinking, we will create new, original approaches or solutions to old but very important problems." I want to be positive, but I am not as optimistic as the dear writer. I fear that our ability of long-term critical thinking will suffer. We already see that happening in the age of dopamine-fueled, short-form content. The average attention span is becoming shorter but the ability to rationalize effectively does not become faster. Adding AI into the mix, the next 50 years will be very interesting for the Gen Z world.

reify 2y ago

Education at degree level is a self learning process. You read, you discover, you clarify, you expand, you think for yourself, you find your own way, you discover your own views, uncover your own theory on the topic you study. You own what you learn. An integration of the accumulated knowledge. Like the four stages of competence: Unconscious incompetence Conscious incompetence Conscious competence Unconscious competence AI cannot replace this process.

eugenepl 2y ago

Using AI as a coach or mentor shapes your thinking process significantly because AI internal rules and censorship (which we don't even know) impact its answers, your outputs and, consequently,... your future O_o

LeafItAlone 2y ago
And how is this different from a human teacher?
wdh505 2y ago
Due to the high cost of therapy. I expect several people who use therapists for ideas about their situation would do well with sending a long form prompt to chat gpt and asking for therapeutic ideas. Certainly cheaper than 100-250 per session with a therapist that isn't making progress.

sim7c00 2y ago

Pointing at tech and blaming it for degrading the human condition is refusing to take responsibility of your own predicament. (not saying anyone here is doing it - it's a generalization!) People who get 'dumber' from technologies, like GPS mentioned by a commenter (nice example), but also auto-correct, intellisense and such helpertools, they choose themselves the path of least resistance, and least learning. Arguably, they are already dumb, as they choose themselves not to learn. It's all ok, i would say there's no rule that forces people to learn or be smart. But if you do want to learn, avoid using technologies _constantly_ which hamper your learning. In the end, be responsible for yourself, and don't blame external things from preventing you to do things while you choose yourself to engage with them. (if it's not by choice, it'd be a different case perhaps, but no one is forcing anyone to use AI....)

leourbina 2y ago
I’d take a slightly different perspective. I’d like to think that these tools are in some ways “humanizing” - we can offload things that we’re not particularly good at (like memorization tasks) and instead we can use our capacities to do things that (at least for now) we humans are uniquely capable of doing. As an example: Back in the 90’s people knew many phone numbers by heart, nowadays I don’t think people know more than a handful, if that. Does that mean that “phone contacts” are making us dumber? Or perhaps we can use the time/effort/capacity to better use.
- sim7c00 2y ago
  I do agree that we might want to offload mundane and boring / repetitive tasks which do not add value to our lives. But this 'value' is a personal and subjective thing, so it's hard to give a recipe there which will fit everyone. Hence I think its important for people to be educated in how to maintain this balance of easy-life vs. hard-life to optimise for their own life what they will get from it. I for example do not use intellisense nor auto-correct. (i do make a lot of spelling mistakes!). I want to learn to program, so intellisense will break that learning. I do not want to 'produce programs' - for which intellisense is _super good_ as it will increase productivity a lot. I know most people make the tradeoff the other way, as they prefer productivity over learning.

deleted 2y ago

[deleted]

kelseyfrog 2y ago

Yes, in the same way that Socrates said the same thing about writing.