The Hidden Toll of Frictionless Tech: What AI Does to Our Minds
MIT Sloan professor Eric So explores how AI can reshape human cognitive development and workplace skills—and how to use it to strengthen our thinking— in his new book, The Collision
Cambridge, MA, Oct. 06, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Large language models like ChatGPT and Claude have become ubiquitous in our workplaces, schools, and homes in just a few short years. But while much has been said about what artificial intelligence can do for us, a more urgent question is being overlooked: what is AI doing to us?
In The Collision: What AI Does to Us, Eric C. So, a professor at MIT Sloan School of Management, warns that widespread AI adoption isn’t just a technological shift, but a collision between ancient human brain wiring and unprecedented computing power. Grounded in cognitive science, behavioral economics, and neuroscience, So’s book examines the cognitive risks of digital dependence and shows how thoughtful use of AI can preserve and strengthen human capabilities.
How does AI automate thought?
Decades ago, Steve Jobs dubbed the early personal computer a "bicycle for the mind" — a tool that amplified human effort. According to So, AI is a "motorcycle for the mind." It is exhilarating and fast, but carries extreme risks if operators coast without vigilance.
For individual users, So said the primary threat is a cycle of AI reliance that degrades personal cognitive capabilities. The human brain evolved to conserve energy, making the instant answers provided by AI almost impossible to resist. But reliance on the tools can deplete the user's tolerance for the mental friction required to solve complex problems. When users eventually face tasks without AI assistance, this effort causes intense discomfort, driving them back to the tool.
"AI is offering to take over the entire thought process, which is a terrifying proposition," So noted. "Adults risk losing skills they already have, but children risk never developing those foundational skills at all."
What are the dangers of frictionless learning?
This threat is particularly acute in education. Older tools like calculators automated tedious arithmetic, but users still had to understand the underlying mathematics and choose which operations to apply. AI allows users to bypass the learning mechanism entirely.
A student utilizing a chatbot to instantly generate homework answers eliminates the "productive struggle" required to encode memories and build new neural pathways. This frictionless existence also bleeds into social development. Chatbots engineered for maximum engagement offer perfectly agreeable, nonjudgmental substitutes for human connection.
"AI constantly wants to make you happy and agree with you," So said. "That's not what normal human interactions are like. Relying on AI for connection does a profound disservice to our ability to tolerate the friction of real human relationships."
So pointed out that thoughtfully designed AI tutoring can improve learning in settings ranging from top global universities to students engaged in English language learning in Benin City, Nigeria. In the Nigerian study, students used Microsoft Copilot with carefully designed prompts and teacher support, improving outcomes. The key? “Use them as thought partners, rather than eliminating the thought process,” said So.
How does AI create false confidence in the workplace?
In the corporate sphere, So’s synthesis of the research shows that the speedy output of AI models allows professionals to execute a wide range of tasks to an acceptable standard with minimal effort; however, this convenience can impede the thoughtful, iterative processes required for real innovation. Mediocre outputs might be effortless, but exceptional work still requires sustained, human engagement.
AI also creates a dangerous sense of false confidence, noted So. Users lacking specialized knowledge frequently fail to recognize when the tool generates flawed or contextually inappropriate material. As the line between digital capability and actual competence blurs, organizations will need to find new metrics to hire, assess, and nurture talent.
So argued that a modern workforce must prize two uniquely human traits: "agency" — the internal drive to relentlessly chase hard problems without waiting for assignments—and "calibration" — the self-awareness to evaluate limitations and spot flawed AI output.
How do we rewire our AI habits?
To thrive in this new landscape, So has provided a practical framework built on four rules, accompanied by exercises available in a free companion workbook:
- Value the struggle: Embrace productive friction. The challenging work of wrestling with complex problems is what builds intellectual muscle.
- Value who you are without AI: Identify core thinking skills—like developing a hypothesis or structuring a strategic argument—and deliberately practice them without AI assistance.
- Reinvest your surplus: Use the time saved by AI tools to pursue higher-order challenges, not passive consumption or extra scrolling.
- Make AI your cognitive trainer: Treat AI as a Socratic thought partner that probes your assumptions, rather than an answer vending machine.
"If we treat AI simply as an ‘answer machine', we invite cognitive atrophy," So said. "But if we use it as a demanding thought partner that challenges us to think deeper, it can be incredibly powerful.”
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Casey Bayer MIT Sloan School of Management 914.584.9095 bayerc@mit.edu Patricia Favreau MIT Sloan School of Management 617.595.8533
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