The paradoxes of AI in the workplace, and what every leader needs to know.
It’s very easy to get enamoured by ChatGPT, in fact I’ve recently read that it is designed to be addictive by feeding you dopamine and serotonin, which feel great. However, new research also suggests that it can make you less intelligent.
A new study from MIT Media Lab raises serious questions about the impact of ChatGPT on critical thinking, memory, and long-term performance. In our pursuit of speed, scale, and smart solutions, are we in danger of quietly outsourcing our capacity for deeper thinking?
Many leaders are embracing tools like ChatGPT to get things done faster. But in doing so, are we trading away the very qualities that make us human; our judgment, our reflection, our ability to wrestle with complexity?
This question is now echoing through the boardrooms and chat spaces of every business navigating the new terrain of AI-enhanced work.
The MIT study found that participants using ChatGPT to write essays showed significantly lower neural engagement. Compared to those using search engines or just their own brains, ChatGPT users demonstrated reduced activity in the prefrontal cortex and parietal lobes, critical for executive functioning, reasoning, memory and mental effort. They were more likely to copy and paste, less able to recall what they’d written, and less connected to their own ideas.
The researchers coined the term “cognitive debt”: a short-term convenience that risks long-term cost. This isn’t just neuroscience. It’s also a philosophical challenge. In ancient traditions, growth comes not from avoiding struggle but through leaning into it. When we remove the friction of thinking, we may also remove the furnace that forges wisdom.
There is a tension every leader must hold and navigate. AI tools offer astounding efficiency, but the impact of ChatGPT on critical thinking is beginning to show in subtle but significant ways.
This brings to life the Paradox of Sustained Results, balancing Self-Motivation with Stress Management. If we constantly reach for ease and avoid challenge, our capacity for long-term performance quietly withers. If you don’t use it – you lose it.
It’s also tied to the Paradox of Insightful Curiosity, remaining open to new information while staying grounded in our own thinking. Over-reliance on AI can erode the habit of reflection, making us reactive rather than responsive. If we let ChatGPT shape our thinking too early in the process, we risk outsourcing not just the output, but the insight.
Finally, there is the more subtle Paradox of Self-Actualisation, balancing Self-Acceptance with Self-Improvement. Growth requires that we stay engaged in the uncomfortable but deeply human work of accepting critical feedback, while knowing that we all have unique qualities to share. Studies have shown that ChatGPT is designed to agree with your and tends to confirm your biases, unless you instruct it not to.
In a world already saturated with noise and urgency, the risk of ‘Cognitive Outsourcing’ is real.
As leaders, we must ask:
– Are we building organisations full of creative, capable thinkers?
– Or are we cultivating fast content and shallow insight?
Some signs to watch for:
• Reduced originality in team output
• Less confidence in owning ideas and decisions
• Decreasing memory and independent problem-solving
• Avoidance of complexity in favour of easy answers
The true impact of ChatGPT on critical thinking is that it can make us faster, but not deeper. More prolific, but less profound.
We are living through one of the most accelerated technological shifts in human history. Tools we only imagined five years ago are now embedded in our workflows, shaping how we think, write, decide, and lead. But in the rush to adapt, we must not lose our centre.
Ancient wisdom reminds us to walk in rhythm with the land, not just the market. Buddhist philosophy urges us to be mindful and responsive, not mindless and merely reactive. Real business wisdom, at its best, asks us to grow with purpose and intention, not just speed. As the world hurtles forward at a phenomenal pace, we must ask not only what AI can do for us, but who we become in the process.
AI is here to stay. But it must serve our intelligence, not substitute it. Here’s how to ensure it deepens rather than dulls your leadership:
1. Use AI to spark—not substitute
Start with your own ideas. Let AI support, stretch, or summarise, but don’t let it do the thinking for you.
2. Schedule “AI-off” deep work
Protect time for pure thinking. Step away from digital assistance and into your own mind. Make time to meditate or be in nature with only the natural sights, sounds and smells (no podcasts!). This is where genuine insight lives.
3. Focus on reflection, not just results
Ask yourself and your team: “What did we learn from this?” and “What would we do differently next time?” Build ownership.
4. Set boundaries for AI use
Make it clear when AI is welcome, and when it’s not. People decisions, strategic judgment, and nuanced conversations require a human touch.
5. Develop your team’s critical thinking
Don’t just train people to use AI—develop their ability to challenge it. Encourage curiosity, questioning, and reflection.
The impact of ChatGPT on critical thinking is not just a neuroscience headline—it’s a strategic issue. Leaders must not confuse productivity with performance.
If your team can generate 20 slides in 5 minutes but can’t explain the thinking behind them, you’re just building output – not capability.
My invitation is to become leaders who embrace technology without abandoning wisdom. Teach your teams to be AI-literate—but also mind-literate. Because in the end, high performance isn’t about shortcuts. It’s about deliberate consciousness, clarity, and courageous thinking.
1. To what extent do I feel mentally ‘activated’ or present when I use AI tools?
2. Am I intentionally engaging my executive and reflective brain regions, or simply outsourcing them?
3. When I try the same task manually later, do I notice a lag in clarity or ownership?
Keeping these questions in mind can help ensure AI remains a supportive partner, not a substitute for your thinking.
Remember when it comes to Cognitive Debt . . . Stay Curious!
At Talent4Performance, we specialise in translating behavioural science into business results. The Clarity Matrix is central to our work with mid-sized UK organisations seeking to improve the performance of their people and their business.
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With best regards,
David and Alli
Talent4Performance help business leaders clarify complexity. We inspire people and drive continuous performance improvement, which means you can convert thinking into action and results.
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