Learn Kung Fu or Forget How to Walk: AI's Double-Edged Promise
Consider the two iconic scenes from two iconic movies.
In The Matrix, Neo must prepare for a battle with Agent Smith. With no time to waste, Morpheus plugs him into a training simulation to learn various skills. At one point, Neo wakes up and declares, “I know Kung Fu.”
In WALL-E, humans are first seen on the Starship Axiom, where they have been living for 700 years waiting for WALL-E to clean Earth. Despite advanced technology, humans spend their days on hover chairs watching mindless TV. They are so reliant on technology that they are too fat and weak to walk on their own.
And so this brings us to AI.
Does AI make us stupid?
A week ago, a published paper at MIT suggested that humans reduced brain usage when excessively using tools like ChatGPT. Many on X panicked. “See! AI is causing us to lose our ability to think!” Fears of a WALL-E-like future ran wild.
Let’s pause and analyze this.
Reducing cognitive load can be beneficial. For high-performing executives working long hours at demanding jobs, this helps them avoid overwhelm and maintain flow.
Second, there’s a huge difference between using AI to outsource your thinking (WALL-E humans) and using AI to rapidly skill up (Neo).
ChatGPT is like 1,000 PhDs in your pocket, and you get to decide how to use it.
A Tale of Two Students
Imagine two college students.
Student 1 just wants to pass, graduate, and get the degree.
Student 2 wants to learn everything and be the best at what they do.
Student 1 wants to pay Student 2 to write their paper.
Student 2 wants to attend every office hours session and ask the professor every question to master the material.
Student 1 is the WALL-E human who just wants to go back to watching the game or scrolling through Facebook.
Student 2 is Neo, trying to learn every skill imaginable in the shortest time possible.
In a post-AGI world, student 1 will get left behind while student 2 will constantly be amazed by how fast they acquire new skills: “I know React Native. I know copywriting. I know Improv.”
Indispensable
In Linchpin (2010), Seth Godin suggests that indispensable people are the first hired and last fired.
In an AI world, leverage AI tools to maximize efficiency and effectiveness to be indispensable. You want to free up time to be creative, strategic, and enhance your relationships.
Not everyone will take this approach. In fact, 90% will take the easy path, letting AI make all their decisions so they can get back to scrolling.
Don’t do it. You now have 1,000 PhDs in your pocket. You can ask them anything, getting near-instant access to mankind’s wisdom. Use it well and you’ll become more intelligent, not less.