- Andy Kessler (Wall Street Journal) refutes the argument that “AI makes humans stupid,” considering it merely a “moral panic” designed to cover up the failures of the education system.
- A study by the MIT Media Lab (June 2025) suggests that using ChatGPT to write essays leads to “cognitive debt,” implying humans are losing thinking capacity. Kessler views this as hyperbole, comparing it to the fears once attached to Google, TV, computers, and pocket calculators—all accused of “dumbing down humanity” in the past.
- The Flynn Effect (IQ increasing by 3 points per decade from 1932–1978) was once seen as proof of human progress, but the “reverse Flynn effect” (IQ declining from 2006–2018) is blamed by many on Facebook and the iPhone. However, Kessler emphasizes: correlation is not causation—IQ fluctuates according to social context and education.
- Critics say technology causes dopamine addiction, distraction, and “brain rot,” but research at Washington University has denied a direct link between dopamine and technology use.
- The concept of a “stupidogenic society” suggests machines make humans lazy. But Kessler argues the opposite: AI is creating a “smartogenic society”—a society that helps people become smarter when they know how to exploit technology correctly.
- Data shows that while some skills have declined, 3D spatial reasoning capabilities have increased, possibly thanks to the younger generation playing video games.
- Global literacy rates have risen from 12% in 1820 to 87% today, proving humans are not getting stupider—but rather accessing knowledge more easily.
- According to Sal Khan (Khan Academy), everyone can learn any subject given the right method; the problem lies in education being slow to innovate, not in technology.
- Kessler criticizes psychologist Jonathan Haidt, who called for banning social media before age 16, stating that “we cannot save the younger generation by going back to prehistoric times.”
📌 Experts refute the argument that “AI makes humans stupid,” considering it merely a “moral panic” designed to cover up the failures of the education system. The argument that using ChatGPT leads to “cognitive debt,” implying humans are losing thinking capacity, is described as hyperbole, comparable to the fears once attached to Google, TV, computers, and pocket calculators—all accused of “dumbing down humanity” in the past. Global literacy rates have risen from 12% in 1820 to 87% today, proving humans are not getting stupider—but rather accessing knowledge more easily. Everyone can learn any subject given the right method; the problem lies in education being slow to innovate, not in technology.
