Using AI the wrong way could leave you worse off than never using it at all

Research conducted by BYU professor Mark Keith suggests using AI the wrong way could have serious long-term negative impacts. His review of the AI use literature indicates many people:

• Don't retain skills after AI assistance is removed
• Forget what they learned using AI
• Demonstrate lower critical thinking skills and less mental effort/engagement with tasks

The Long-Term AI Outcomes Gap: Mark Keith, BYU

In fact, over the long term, failing to engage with AI the right way could leave people worse off than those who never adopted AI in the first place. (There are a lot of non-AI adopters out there. Most people think AI equals a chatbot, and 50% of Americans don't plan to use them).

What's the right way to use AI? The research suggests:

• Verifying information AI is providing
• Use it to challenge assumptions
• Ask whether you're asking the right questions

Are you finding your critical thinking skills eroded as you use AI more, or the opposite? What are you doing to preserve or augment your skills as you use AI?