I’ve been doing some thinking, which never ends well…

As I reflect on this year and where it has taken me, I have noticed a growing shift across generations toward valuing the appearance of intelligence more than the actual act of it. And it is really, really bothering me.

A preface: this is going to sound like a conceited post, and I will try my best to humble myself, but no promises.

AI this, AI that. We get it: you ask the magic computer a question and it gives you a smart-sounding answer that you can say on that dreaded Zoom call so it looks like you had something to say but you are spitting out the same regurgitated cyber slosh that your coworker just said. I think it’s safe to say AI isn’t making us any more intelligent. But why not?

IQ levels have steadily dropped since 1975 (Flynn effect) and our general ability to comprehend a given problem has declined alongside it. We thought the emergence of the internet would bring us wide arrays of information that otherwise be impossible to attain. It gave us that information, but once attained, it was not retained. I have this giant encyclopedia of everything so when I need it, I can get it. Duh!

This same assumption occurred when the letter printing became a universal trait, rather than something alloted to the wealthy and educated. People thought a world where everyone could write would make it’s value diminsh, and a new form of intelligent communication would be needed.

This scene in Good Will Hunting Shows Exactly what I’m Worried About

And this kept happening.

Ergo, increased access to knowledge = overall decrease of critical thinking??

Is that true? Should education and intelligence be kept to the stronghold? No. But I keep asking myself, why is the universalization of an access to knowledge increase our laziness to understand something for our own? And is AI the next and final step in a loss of critical thinking. Who needs to write an email when Chat GPT can do it in 10 seconds by using up the amount of energy needed to waste three bottles of water, right?

So here’s my call to action: we should ask ourselves what we do think is neccessary to have on hand. In a big board meeting sans computers, when we really need to prove ourselves, what should we prepare. Preparation is a word I fear my generation will soon forget. I come from a background of improv and thinking on the spot, so I tend to thrive in spotaneuos situations, but understanding the value of sitting with yourself, and understanding what you know and what you can share is what truly determines your intelligence.

People tell me they can just tell if someone meets their standard of intelligence, be it through their curosity, the look on their face when they think, or their ability to filibuster for hours on end if need be. If that’s the case, I don’t want to look like some schmuck that looks like Patrick Star in our first conversation.

And so I will continue to write my own emails, ask myself what I think before Googling it, and try (God willing) to stop using Chat GPT for every problem I can’t instantly solve.