Using the tool without outsourcing thought.
THE USEFUL USE
AI as a thinking partner: generating options, testing arguments, explaining unfamiliar ideas, finding gaps.
That strengthens your thinking.
THE DAMAGING USE
AI as a substitute for thinking: accepting conclusions you did not evaluate.
HOW TO TELL WHICH YOU ARE DOING
Are you evaluating the output, or accepting it? Could you defend the reasoning yourself? Did you form a view before asking?
PRACTICAL TECHNIQUES
Ask for the case against your position Ask what a sceptic would say Ask what assumptions the answer depends on Ask what would change the conclusion
WHAT MAKES AI USEFUL FOR THINKING
It produces a coherent position quickly, which you can then interrogate.
Arguing with a draft is easier than producing one.
WHAT TO WATCH
Fluency is persuasive. A well-written wrong argument is more convincing than a badly written right one.
THE DISCIPLINE
Read AI output as you would read a confident stranger's opinion: interesting, worth considering, not authoritative.
