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0Hey everyone, let’s talk about something we all use—AI chatbots. You know, the ones we ask to write essays, answer work emails, solve math problems, even come up with ideas for our birthday parties. We love ’em because they’re fast, easy, and save us so much time. But here’s the question I’ve been hearing lately—and I bet you’ve thought it too: Could these AI chatbots actually be making us stupider? Let’s break this down, no fluff, just real life examples you’ll totally relate to.
First off, let’s get one thing straight: AI isn’t making us “stupid” overnight. But it is making us lazy—especially when it comes to using our own brains. And when we stop using our brains, we get rusty. Let me give you the most common example: school and work. How many of you have had a essay due, or a report to write, and instead of brainstorming or figuring it out yourself, you just typed “write me a 500-word essay about X” into DouBao? Raise your hand—I know I’ve been guilty of it! （laughs）
Here’s the problem: When AI writes your essay for you, you’re not learning how to organize your thoughts, how to argue a point, or even how to put words together in a way that sounds like you. Let’s say a student uses AI to do their math homework every night. They get the answers right, but they never actually learn how to solve the problems themselves. Then, when a test comes around—no AI, no notes—they’re stuck. They can’t do it because they never practiced. That’s not AI making them stupid; it’s AI letting them skip the work that makes them smarter. It’s like using a calculator for every single math problem, even 2+2—eventually, you forget how to add.
Another example: problem-solving. We used to Baidu things, read articles, figure out solutions on our own. Now? We just ask AI. Let’s say your phone stops working—instead of looking up troubleshooting tips, trying a few things, and learning how to fix it, you ask AI “why is my phone not turning on?” and do exactly what it says. You fix the phone, but you don’t learn anything. Next time it breaks, you’re right back to asking AI. You’re not building that “problem-solving muscle” anymore. Over time, that muscle gets weak—and suddenly, you feel like you can’t figure anything out without AI’s help.
And let’s talk about critical thinking—this is a big one. AI gives us answers, but it doesn’t always tell us why that answer is right, or if there’s another way to look at it. For example, if you ask AI “what’s the best way to lose weight?” it’ll give you a list of tips. But it won’t ask you about your lifestyle, your food preferences, or your health. It just gives a generic answer. If you don’t stop and think, “Does this work for me?” or “Is this actually healthy?” you’re just following orders—you’re not using your own judgment. That’s how we stop thinking for ourselves: we get used to AI doing the thinking for us.
But wait—before you throw your phone away and delete all your AI apps, let’s be fair. AI isn’t all bad. It’s a tool, just like a calculator or a dictionary. The problem isn’t the AI—it’s how we use it. Let me give you a good example: I use AI to help me brainstorm ideas for my videos. I’ll say, “Give me 5 ideas for a video about stress relief,” and then I take those ideas and make them my own. I add my own stories, my own voice, I research more to make sure they’re good. AI is a starting point, not the finish line. That’s how you use it without getting lazy.
So, could AI chatbots be making us stupider? The short answer is: Only if we let them. They don’t make us stupid—they let us choose to be lazy. They let us skip the hard parts that make us grow. When we use AI to do all the thinking, all the learning, all the problem-solving, we’re letting our brains get out of shape. But when we use AI as a helper—not a replacement—we get the best of both worlds: we save time, and we still use our brains.
Here’s my challenge to you: Next time you reach for AI to do something, stop and ask yourself: “Can I try this on my own first?” If it’s a math problem, work through it once before checking with AI. If it’s an email, write a draft yourself, then use AI to edit it. If it’s a problem, try troubleshooting for 5 minutes before asking AI. Small steps, but they’ll keep your brain sharp.
At the end of the day, AI is just a tool. It can make our lives easier, but it can’t make us smarter—that’s up to us. We have to choose to use our brains, even when it’s easier not to. Because if we don’t, yeah—over time, we might start to feel a little “rusty.” But if we use AI wisely? We can be smarter, faster, and more creative than ever before. Thanks for listening, and let me know in the comments—do you think AI makes you lazier, or does it help you be better?
