On the surface, outsourcing your thinking process to a language model may feel quick and efficient. But at the same time, it takes away the natural and at times frustrating and messy process, that is so essential for learning, writes Study Psychologist Maiju Romo
Some time ago, I was planning to write a column about the use of artificial intelligence in studying. I opened my computer and, to brainstorm the subject, I typed a preliminary headline into Copilot. Instead of inspiration, I mostly felt annoyed. In less than a minute, a text appeared containing exactly the thoughts I had believed I wanted to express. But did it really? I hadn't had any time to think about what I wanted to say.
If you outsource such a thought process to a language model, what does it take away from you? On the surface, it feels quick and efficient, but for me it took away the natural, sometimes frustrating and messy process of writing misspelled sentences, unfinished ideas, and tentative connections between things on a blank page. Through that process, I might have realized something new myself, because I would have been forced to think about what I know about the topic and what I truly want to say about it. This time, I didn’t experience any of that. I copied and saved the text, but it was forgotten.
In studying, that thought process is essential. Learning is not only about receiving ready-made information, but about chewing on it, combining it and questioning it. This is usually done the long way: searching for information, adjusting one's own understanding, solving problems, refining arguments, discovering new connections between things, noting mistakes and correcting them with new knowledge. This is often slow and laborious, but extremely valuable.
If we outsource this process to language models, what do we actually learn? At the very minimum, using AI requires giving a short input and knowing how to copy-paste. Machines are superior in data storage and data retrieval. These are hardly specialized skills in working life. Therefore, it is worth investing in skills that machines cannot replace: critical thinking, applying knowledge, and collaboration with others.
When you feel tempted to outsource your thinking to AI precisely when something feels difficult, it is worth pausing. That difficulty may be the most important part of the learning process. It may be the very skill that cannot be copied or generated. Of course, outsourcing is useful in areas where language models excel. The time saved can then be used for what human thinking is uniquely good at: creative problem -solving, learning new things, practicing perseverance with tricky tasks, and collaborating with other people. Developing these skills also provides very different kinds of readiness and motivation for both studies and working life.
I didn't want to publish the original text, so I had to write my own. I wanted to see what I personally had to say about the topic. That is the heart of the matter: the value came not only from the final outcome, but from the entire writing process. You can’t achieve that with a single prompt.
