Research reveals a worrying trend: nearly half of users rely on artificial intelligence at work because they don't want to delve into the subject. Experts warn of the 'deskilling' phenomenon and the loss of key cognitive skills.
Have you recently written an important email without the help of artificial intelligence? Or have you read a 46-page document without having a chatbot summarize it into a few bullet points? Research shows that more and more people are leaving the thinking to tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude, and experts are now warning that this could have serious consequences for our cognitive abilities.
According to data reported by the German news agency dpa, between 44 and 52 percent of employees in the United Kingdom use artificial intelligence in the workplace, but only 15 to 35 percent do so regularly. Most of those who use AI are mainly experimenting or using it for routine administrative tasks. In Germany, the situation is even more pronounced, with as many as 80 percent of people occasionally using AI at work, according to a survey.
What is particularly concerning, however, is the reason for its use. A study by the Pinktum Institute found that 43 percent of respondents use AI at work partly because they "rarely want to delve into certain topics," as they put it. In other words, nearly half of users see artificial intelligence as a tool that frees them from the need for deeper thinking.
Josephine Hofmann, an expert at the German Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO, warns of a phenomenon known as "deskilling," which is the potential loss of skills resulting from an increasing reliance on artificial intelligence. She distinguishes between two types of this phenomenon: the loss of existing skills and, even more dangerously, the complete failure to develop new ones.
"People gradually lose cognitive activities," Hofmann said. Basic skills such as reading comprehension, critical examination of texts, independent writing, and the creation of new knowledge are particularly at risk. "This is an activity that must be learned and then practiced," she emphasized.
Although Hofmann acknowledges that the causal link between AI use and reduced critical thinking has not yet been conclusively proven, research shows clear correlations. "The findings are mixed: the field of research is extremely dynamic," she said. A study by the Swiss private university SBS found a strong negative correlation between frequent AI use and critical thinking ability.
As artificial intelligence increasingly takes over tasks that require thinking, people begin to lack practice. Hofmann also warns of the loss of a sense of achievement. When we figure something out ourselves, it positively affects our motivation and willingness to continue learning. If AI constantly serves us ready-made answers, that feeling disappears.
One of the key reasons for the growing reliance on AI, according to Hofmann, is the "incredible pressure to speed up" in the business world. People are simply "inclined to move away from understanding toward delegating." But that is also where the greatest risk lies: by losing our own skills, it becomes increasingly difficult to notice errors or inconsistencies generated by the technology itself. "Then you are truly not in a position to ensure quality," Hofmann warned.
Carina Ebli-Korbel, an educator and human resources expert, is even more direct in her warnings. Blindly relying on AI-generated results "would be catastrophic. It carries the risk of gradually losing key skills," she said.
The good news is that 70 percent of respondents in the Pinktum Institute survey said they "generally" check the results presented by AI. However, the question is how effective that verification really is if the basic skills needed for critical evaluation are simultaneously weakening.
Experts agree that the solution is not to completely reject artificial intelligence, but to use it consciously and purposefully. Hofmann recommends viewing AI as a thinking partner rather than a replacement for your own brain. "We can certainly use AI now to strengthen our own thought processes," she said.
One concrete method she suggests is to instruct the chatbot: "Challenge me, ask me questions." In this way, AI becomes a tool for deepening understanding rather than bypassing it.
Ebli-Korbel emphasizes that the responsibility lies primarily with the individual. Organizations can raise awareness of the issue, but everyone must consciously decide which tasks they will not delegate to AI. "For example, I can regularly write emails myself, especially when it comes to thinking, not just how to phrase something," she advises. She also stresses the importance of a conscious approach to learning: "If I want to consolidate my knowledge, I have to read something again myself and think about what I have learned."
Despite the risks, artificial intelligence can also have a positive effect on cognitive abilities if used correctly. "What you lose, you can also gain," Ebli-Korbel emphasized. Creativity, for instance, can be stimulated by taking AI-generated results as a starting point that people then develop further on their own.
Organizational psychologist Markus Langer, in an interview with the German magazine Psychologie Heute, argues that targeted use of artificial intelligence can help develop cognitive abilities. The reason is simple: increased attention is needed to spot errors in AI-generated texts. Those who critically examine and improve AI suggestions are actually practicing judgment.
AI can help people enter new topics faster or identify gaps in their own knowledge. The key is openness to new ideas, which makes it easier to recognize the positive aspects of technology and helps overcome the fear of being replaced by it. "Fear prevents us from developing further," Ebli-Korbel concluded. Only those who invest in their own development can progress in the long run.
