The rise of AI and the quiet brain drain among Millennials and Gen Zs

Mint

5 hours ago

We talk a lot about how Artificial Intelligence is transforming productivity, creativity and business models. But there's an undercurrent we're not talking about enough: the subtle, creeping erosion of original thinking, especially among the younger workforce.
The rise of convenience culture—from quick commerce to quick answers—is reshaping not just what we do, but how we think. Or rather, if we think.
We are building businesses today that are optimized for speed, immediacy and instant gratification. And while the market rewards agility, there's a growing concern: are we trading away cognitive depth, intellectual resilience and original problem-solving for the illusion of efficiency?
AI: Tool or crutch?
I've always encouraged my teams to approach their managers not just with problems, but with possible solutions—even if tentative. Why? Because the act of problem-solving, even imperfectly, sharpens the mind. It builds muscle memory for leadership. And yes, even insecure managers respect talent when it shows initiative.
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But what happens when, instead of thinking through the problem, the default becomes: 'Let me ask AI"?
A senior HR colleague once shared a revealing story. During a virtual interview, she became suspicious of how effortlessly a candidate answered even off-the-script questions. She invited him to the office under the pretext of contract finalization. The candidate fumbled. Eventually, he admitted to using voice-prompted AI to assist him in real-time during the interview.
Prompt engineering vs prompt dependency
There's a rising fascination with 'prompt engineering"—asking the right questions to AI to unlock deeper answers. But based on a recent interaction I had with a group of students, it seems we're at risk of missing the point.
Instead of mastering inquiry or using AI as a collaborator, many are focused on finding hacks to mask AI intervention, turning the process into a glorified copy-paste operation with little critical input. The new generation is at risk of outsourcing not just work—but thinking, too.
This is dangerous.
In the environment I grew up in, we lived by the principle: Garbage in, garbage out. If the brief was shallow, the output was superficial. That logic still holds true—AI is only as good as the clarity and intent behind the brief.
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Convenience vs craft
I still follow a simple process with clients: we write the brief. All we ask of them is an hour of honest, freewheeling conversation. The best insights still come from the most human of things—dialogue, instinct, and empathy. AI can help shape, refine and accelerate. But it cannot substitute for understanding.
Yes, AI can write emails, analyze data and generate campaign ideas. But it can't feel market sentiment. It can't predict political nuance. It can't decode the unsaid in a client's voice, or the gut instinct that tells you something is off.
A note to the next generation
AI is here to stay—and that's a good thing. But don't let it become a crutch.
• Think before you prompt.
• Build the ability to ask better questions, not just faster ones.
• Focus not just on tasks, but on craft.
• Remember: convenience is not a substitute for capability.
You're not competing with AI. You're competing with people who know how to use it better—because they've built a strong foundation of thinking, reasoning and empathy.
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So while the world chases convenience, chase clarity.
Marry your neocortex (logic) with your limbic brain (intuition). That's where real creativity—and leadership—reside.
Yesudas S. Pillai is the founder of Y&A Transformation and a strategic adviser at Channel Factory.