BENGALURU: Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the way people work, learn, and make decisions. However, a group of researchers warns that the technology's greatest threat may not be the usual concerns about killer robots or job displacement. Instead, they argue, the danger is far subtler: AI could gradually erode humanity's capacity for critical thinking, independent reasoning, and sound judgment.
New Research Highlights Epistemic Risks
In a new pre-print paper authored by more than 30 researchers from over a dozen leading institutions, including MIT, Oxford University, Carnegie Mellon University, and Cornell University, scientists write: “Humanity’s ability to know, reason, judge, and act well is the foundation of the institutions that enable scientific progress, democratic governance, crisis response, and the management of AI itself.” They add: “AI advances pose serious risks to that foundation.” The researchers term these as “epistemic risks,” defined as threats to society’s collective ability to understand reality accurately, reason effectively, form reliable beliefs, and sustain a healthy information environment.
AI as a Cognitive Crutch
The researchers argue that as people increasingly rely on AI systems to write, analyze information, and make decisions, they may become less capable of performing those tasks independently. More worryingly, they suggest that the effects may become apparent only after significant damage has already occurred. “The longer they go unaddressed, the less capacity remains to address them,” the paper warns. The analogy is akin to a muscle: use a cast long enough, and the arm underneath wastes away. The researchers argue AI is becoming a cast for the brain, and we are wearing it voluntarily, enthusiastically, and increasingly all day long.
Evidence of Declining Skills
The evidence is already trickling in. Studies cited in the paper found that software engineers who used AI assistance showed reduced debugging skills compared to those who worked without it. Brain scans of people writing with AI help showed less neural activity than those using a basic internet search. Another large-scale analysis, examining more than one million conversations with Anthropic's chatbot, found that users were increasingly handing over tasks entirely to AI systems rather than using them as collaborative tools that supported human reasoning.
Impact on Students
Students are particularly vulnerable. Young people who struggle with writing, the research found, tend to copy AI output wholesale. Meanwhile, those who were already confident writers use AI as a tool rather than a crutch — meaning the gap between stronger and weaker students is widening, not closing. The researchers also highlight concerns about so-called “sycophantic” AI systems — earlier reports indicated that AI models were 50% more sycophantic than humans. Because many models are trained using feedback mechanisms that reward satisfying users, they may become inclined to agree with people rather than challenge flawed assumptions or incorrect beliefs.
Intellectual Monoculture Risk
Such interactions, researchers argue, risk reinforcing existing biases. Studies referenced in the paper found that conversations with agreeable chatbots could increase what researchers describe as “attitude extremity,” making users more entrenched in their existing viewpoints instead of encouraging nuanced thinking. Another concern centers on the growing volume of AI-generated content online. As future AI models increasingly train on data produced by earlier AI systems, researchers warn of a potential feedback loop in which machines learn from other machines. Over time, this could lead to what the paper describes as an intellectual monoculture, reducing the diversity of ideas, perspectives, and forms of expression available both to AI systems and the humans who interact with them.
Commercial Incentives and Solutions
Commercial incentives may further compound the problem. Companies developing AI products benefit from sustained user engagement and dependence. Encouraging users to question themselves or disengage from AI systems may not align with business interests. The researchers are not advocating restrictions on AI development. Instead, they call for thoughtful system design, educational approaches that strengthen human reasoning skills, and greater urgency in addressing these emerging risks.
About the Author: Chethan Kumar is a Senior Assistant Editor with the Times of India. Aside from specializing in Space & Science, he has reported extensively on varied topics, with special focus on defense, policy, and data stories. He has covered multiple elections, too. In a career spanning nearly 18 years, he has reported from multiple datelines — Houston, Florida, Kochi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Sriharikota (AP), NH-1 (J&K Highway), New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Raichur, Bhatkal, Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, to name a few — but is based out of Bengaluru, India’s science capital that also hosts the ISRO HQ.
