AI Isn't Taking Over Our Thinking; It's Helping Us Rethink

The first time I used AI, I worried I was cheating.

Would it make me lazy?

Would I stop thinking for myself?

But here's what happened: AI didn't stop me from thinking. It changed what I think about.

Instead of spending hours Googling basic facts or getting stuck fiddling with formatting, I now spend more time on the stuff that matters:

• Am I asking the right questions in the first place?

• Does this answer make sense, or does something feel off?

• How can I transform this raw material into something useful?

We used to build everything from scratch, every single time.

Now, tools like AI let us jump past the busywork and go straight to the creative part:

the problem-solving, the "what if we tried this instead" moments.

That's not laziness. That's working smarter.

Ways I Use AI Without Losing My Mind

• Get Good at Asking Questions. I used to toss vague prompts at AI and wonder why the responses weren't great. Now I've learned that better input leads to better outputs. Saying "Help me write something" won't get you far. But "Help me write a friendly email to a client who's three weeks late on feedback" is a whole different story.

• Trust Your Gut When Something Feels Off. AI gets things wrong, and it does it confidently. When something doesn't sound right, I've learned to pause and double-check. Your instincts are your biggest asset. Don't ignore them.

• Use it as a Starting Line, not a finish line. I let AI give me the skeleton, then I build the rest. It's like having someone else do the grocery shopping so I can focus on cooking. It saves time, but creativity? That's still on me.

• Have Conversations, Not Just Commands. If a result feels off, I don't just accept it. I talk back. "Can you make this more casual?" or "This feels too generic; can you tailor it to my audience?" That back-and-forth is where the real magic happens.

• Remember: You're Still the Boss. I think of AI like an intern. Super helpful, quick, sometimes surprisingly clever, but still needs direction. I'm the one deciding what matters and where we're headed.

Here's What I Think

People who say AI is making us dumber are missing the bigger picture.

When I use AI intentionally, I stay more engaged. I ask better questions.

I question my assumptions. I think deeper, not less.

Sure, if you're just copy-pasting whatever AI gives you, you're not growing much.

But if you're using it as a thinking partner, something to bounce ideas off, explore directions, or spark new thoughts, that's when things get interesting.

Let AI do the heavy lifting. But keep your brain in the game.

You're still the one in charge.