logo
Experts Concerned That AI Is Making Us Stupider

Experts Concerned That AI Is Making Us Stupider

Yahoo27-04-2025

Artificial intelligence might be creeping its way into every facet of our lives — but that doesn't mean it's making us smarter.
Quite the reverse. A new analysis of recent research by The Guardian looked at a potential irony: whether we're giving up more than we gain by shoehorning AI into our day-to-day work, offloading so many intellectual tasks that it erodes our own cognitive abilities.
The analysis points to a number of studies that suggest a link between cognitive decline and AI tools, especially in critical thinking. One research article, published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology — and itself run through ChatGPT to make "corrections," according to a disclaimer that we couldn't help but notice — suggests that regular use of AI may cause our actual cognitive chops and memory capacity to atrophy.
Another study, by Michael Gerlich of the Swiss Business School in the journal Societies, points to a link between "frequent AI tool usage and critical thinking abilities," highlighting what Gerlich calls the "cognitive costs of AI tool reliance."
The researcher uses an example of AI in healthcare, where automated systems make a hospital more efficient at the cost of full-time professionals whose job is "to engage in independent critical analysis" — to make human decisions, in other words.
None of that is as far-fetched as it sounds. A broad body of research has found that brain power is a "use it or lose it" asset, so it makes sense that turning to ChatGPT for everyday challenges like writing tricky emails, doing research, or solving problems would have negative results.
As humans offload increasingly complex problems onto various AI models, we also become prone to treating AI like a "magic box," a catch-all capable of doing all our hard thinking for us. This attitude is heavily pushed by the AI industry, which uses a blend of buzzy technical terms and marketing hype to sell us on ideas like "deep learning," "reasoning," and "artificial general intelligence."
Case in point, another recent study found that a quarter of Gen Zers believe AI is "already conscious." By scraping thousands of publicly available datapoints in seconds, AI chatbots can spit out seemingly thoughtful prose, which certainly gives the appearance of human-like sentience. But it's that exact attitude that experts warn is leading us down a dark path.
"To be critical of AI is difficult — you have to be disciplined," says Gerlich. "It is very challenging not to offload your critical thinking to these machines."
The Guardian's analysis also cautions against painting with too broad a brush and blaming AI, exclusively, for the decline in basic measures of intelligence. That phenomenon has plagued Western nations since the 1980s, coinciding with the rise of neoliberal economic policies that led governments in the US and UK to roll back funding for public schools, disempower teachers, and end childhood food programs.
Still, it's hard to deny stories from teachers that AI cheating is nearing crisis levels. AI might not have started the trend, but it may well be pushing it to grim new extremes.
More on AI: Columbia Student Kicked Out for Creating AI to Cheat, Raises Millions to Turn It Into a Startup

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

RSM commits $1bn to AI strategy expansion
RSM commits $1bn to AI strategy expansion

Yahoo

time41 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

RSM commits $1bn to AI strategy expansion

RSM US LLP, a provider of assurance, tax, and consulting services, has announced a $1bn investment over the next three years to expand its artificial intelligence (AI) strategy. The investment aims to accelerate 'innovation' and deliver 'transformative' value for clients and professionals, according to the company. It will focus on integrating agentic AI platforms—intelligent systems that autonomously perform complex tasks alongside humans—across RSM's operations and services. The announcement comes as RSM prepares to finalise a transatlantic merger, forming a partner-owned, multinational organisation spanning Canada, El Salvador, India, Ireland the UK and the US, with 23,000 professionals and $5bn in combined annual revenue. Brian Becker, managing partner and CEO of RSM US LLP, said: 'AI continues to be a strategic imperative for RSM, and our significant investment enables us to move decisively from exploration to execution, driving real outcomes for our people and our clients through responsible, business-led solutions. 'We're not simply adopting new technologies—we're transforming how we deliver value, combining deeper insights, greater agility and an unwavering focus on quality and impact.' The investment will support strategic initiatives over the next three years, including the development and investment in industry-specific AI tools and talent, and pursuing strategic ventures to build scalable AI frameworks and infrastructure. It will also involve fully integrating agentic AI into RSM's assurance, tax, and consulting services to optimise performance, unlock efficiencies, improve quality, and accelerate growth for clients. Additionally, RSM plans to empower its talent with agentic AI tools to enhance productivity and professional growth while enabling faster and more innovative solutions that deliver deeper insights and personalised support to clients. The investment will further expand agentic AI-driven solutions throughout the client lifecycle to elevate the overall client experience, the company said. Sergio de la Fe, enterprise digital leader and partner at RSM US LLP, said: 'Our $1bn investment is fuelling groundbreaking innovation to empower our talent and clients to achieve unprecedented performance. 'This commitment to our digital first strategy reflects a sustained journey that will continue to evolve well beyond this initial investment as we drive market-leading solutions and redefine how the middle market navigates the future.' RSM stated that its agentic AI strategy focuses on developing 'AI flows'—purpose-built workflows that enable professionals to leverage and optimise AI agents and generative AI capabilities. With its advisory expertise, RSM aims to combine human insights with advanced AI technology to drive continued growth for its clients. "RSM commits $1bn to AI strategy expansion" was originally created and published by International Accounting Bulletin, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

2 Social Media Stocks That Are Screaming Buys in June
2 Social Media Stocks That Are Screaming Buys in June

Yahoo

time41 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

2 Social Media Stocks That Are Screaming Buys in June

Thanks to its nearly limitless supply of content, Reddit is taking on a significant role in the AI-powered search ecosystem. Meta Platforms plans to fully automate ads on its various properties by using AI, starting in 2026. 10 stocks we like better than Meta Platforms › After a rough start to the year, tech stocks have come roaring back. As of this writing, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite index has surged by more than 25% over the last two months. So with market sentiment swinging back in favor of tech stocks, let's have a closer look at two social media stocks that I believe are buys right now. First up is Reddit (NYSE: RDDT). A relative newcomer as far as social media stocks go, Reddit has only been a public company for a little over a year. However, during that time, its shares have soared by more than 250%. What's behind that excellent performance? In short, red-hot growth across the board. For the first quarter, Reddit delivered a stunning report. Highlights included: Explosive revenue growth of 61% year over year International revenue growth of 82% Average revenue per user (ARPU) 23% higher than a year earlier Daily average users (DAUs) 31% higher Gross margin now 90.5%, compared to 88.6% a year ago Net income of $26 million versus a loss of $575 million last year Reddit, which hosts hundreds of thousands of "subreddits," is part of the growing internet ecosystem that includes large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, search engines like Alphabet's Google, and social media networks. Since Reddit's users create millions of pieces of unique content and post subjective opinions on current events, the platform plays a key role in shaping search results and responses from LLMs. In addition, the company has gotten into the LLM game with its Reddit Answers feature, which boasts over 1 million weekly average users (WAUs). Here's the key takeaway: Reddit is an up-and-coming social media stock with a still-modest market cap of $22 billion. Its volatility and meager (for now) profits mean the stock isn't a great fit for everyone, particularly value investors. However, for long-term-oriented growth investors, Reddit is a name to consider in June. Then, there's Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META). What I love about Meta's stock performance is that the company makes it look easy. Consider its latest earnings report. In the first quarter, the company posted: $42 billion in revenue $17 billion in net income $10 billion in free cash flow Bear in mind that those are figures for a single quarter. On a yearly basis, the company is on track to generate nearly $190 billion in revenue, meaning its total revenue this year could match -- or perhaps surpass -- iconic American companies like Ford Motor Company, General Motors, and Chevron. In addition to its excellent results, the company is also making moves for the future. Meta is spending heavily on artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, such as AI chips and data centers. Those investments are intended to upend the advertising landscape -- and put Meta at the heart of the digital advertising ecosystem. By 2026, the company wants to fully automate ads, allowing brands to cut out advertising-agency intermediaries altogether. What's more, Meta wants to automate the process using AI, allowing brands to customize their ads based on the viewer's location and tastes. In other words, Meta is aiming for another big leap forward -- one that could deliver another surge in revenue, profits, and free cash flow. For investors, now could be the time to load up on Meta shares, before the company begins to reap the rewards of its AI investments. However, given how far Meta has already climbed this year (at this writing, the stock is up 19% year to date), a dollar-cost-averaging strategy could be a savvy way to build a long-term position. Before you buy stock in Meta Platforms, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Meta Platforms wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $669,517!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $868,615!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 792% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 173% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 9, 2025 Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Randi Zuckerberg, a former director of market development and spokeswoman for Facebook and sister to Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Jake Lerch has positions in Alphabet, Ford Motor Company, and Reddit. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Chevron, and Meta Platforms. The Motley Fool recommends General Motors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. 2 Social Media Stocks That Are Screaming Buys in June was originally published by The Motley Fool Sign in to access your portfolio

Your AI hiring tool may be rejecting qualified candidates
Your AI hiring tool may be rejecting qualified candidates

Fast Company

time44 minutes ago

  • Fast Company

Your AI hiring tool may be rejecting qualified candidates

Like so many lines of business, HR departments are increasingly relying on generative artificial intelligence tools. According to Insight Global's '2025 AI in Hiring' report, 92% of hiring managers say they are using AI for screening résumés or prescreening interviews and more than half (57%) are using them for skills assessments. However, even as more teams rely on AI, especially for screening early in the hiring process, the cost may be the very talent companies are seeking. A 2021 report by Harvard Business School and Accenture found that applicant tracking systems were screening out good candidates. According to the report, 88% of employers said that qualified, highly skilled candidates were vetted out of the process by their applicant tracking systems because they did not match the exact job description criteria. The percentage for middle-skills workers was even higher (94%). As candidates have a harder time finding jobs and companies still struggle to find great talent, that's a problem. 'I think that many companies have jumped the gun and have implemented some of these tools to help on the operations side, says Hope-Elizabeth Sonam, head of community at marketing firm We Are Rosie. But while recruiters and hiring managers have been looking for productivity improvements, they may not be taking enough time to 'make sure that the tools that they're using are creating a fair, inclusive, whole, human approach to how talent is being scrutinized in the process,' she says. While candidate screening tools do offer help to overwhelmed HR teams, they also need thoughtful implementations—and a few safeguards—to ensure that they're serving up the most comprehensive list of talent available. The final deadline for Fast Company's Next Big Things in Tech Awards is Friday, June 20, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply today.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store