At Learning Technologies this year, Nigel Paine said AI is turning us into idiots. It was a glib line, and he admits it. But if we hand our thinking over to a chatbot and accept whatever comes back, is he wrong?

In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Ross G is joined by Dr Nigel Paine, researcher, author, podcaster, broadcaster and consultant (he's a busy guy), to explore when AI makes us sharper, when it makes us duller, and what organizations should do about it.

We discuss:

• Why 'cognitive offloading' becomes a problem when we offload the thinking that matters
• Arguing with AI, and asking it to 'destroy' your conclusions rather than confirm them
• Why organizations need to rethink entry-level roles and recruit for critical thinking

Nigel draws on Daniel Kahneman's Thinking, Fast and Slow to explain why our brains favor the easy answer.

To find out more about Nigel's work, visit nigelpaine.com or email hello@nigelpaine.com.

In 'What I Learned this Week', Nigel recommended Kevin Fong's new book Minute Six, about what teams do when their plan meets reality.

He also shared research suggesting the aging brain isn't declining, it's adapting, trading memory for specific details for big-picture knowledge.

Ross G recommended the Charles Dickens Museum in London, and its audio walking tour of the streets Dickens knew.

Rolling out enterprise AI licenses? Don't miss out on the benefits they promise. Find out how our AI Skills Academy builds AI skills, including critical thinking, at mindtools-kineo.com, or email Ross G at custom@mindtools.com.

Connect with our speakers

If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn:

• Ross Garner
• Nigel Paine