For better or worse, we've entered the age of AI. It's everywhere - the Superbowl1, the Pentagon2, and likely your workplace, too. In the company where I work, leadership has announced the need to be "AI-native" and 10x our productivity with agents. For which goal will we 10x our productivity? I'm not quite sure yet. But, wherever we're going, we're using AI to get there faster.
In the deluge of AI content I've been assaulted with of late (and here's another bit; you're welcome), I've noticed a common sentiment surface to the top. Agents are making cognitive labor obsolete. Soon, there'll be no need for thinking work. Just throw your ideas to the agents, and they'll "do the rest."
As a software engineer, in some ways, this makes sense. Some cognitive work is just plain tedious, and I gain nothing by doing it myself. I love test-driven development. I don't need to write the tests myself. I just need to think about what needs to be tested, and which tests can verify the expected behavior.
As a former writer, however, this sentiment is also terrifying. Agents aren't just doing the tedious bits; they're designing, strategizing3, and communicating on our behalf. One AI evangelist even boasted they no longer write their own content. Instead, they speak a few half-baked ideas into a voice recorder and have agents populate the rest.
This kind of thinking is misguided, and I daresay even dangerous. By offloading our cognitive functioning, we're allowing our abilities to learn, reason, and communicate atrophy. Multiple studies have observed skill4 deterioration5 and diminished critical thinking6 after using technological assistance, including AI. This should warn us to use these tools with caution and intention.
If your goal is word count, or number of newsletters sent, sure - AI can help you get there faster. But doing so is missing the entire point of writing. Writing isn't just output; it's exercising your ability to form clear, logical thoughts and arguments, and connect with other humans. By having agents do this work for you, you've robbed your brain of exercising neural pathways. These active neural pathways are the foundation for forging new connections and creative ideas.
Likewise, with software engineering; if your goal is more output or lines of code, yes - agents can help. But, have you built anything worth celebrating? Or are you just generating more useless shit?
I'm not arguing for the end of AI. In the right hands, AI is a useful tool. What I am arguing for, however, is the end of cognitive laziness. (Tall order, yes, I know.)
I get it. Writing is hard. Thinking is hard. As I write this, my brain cries out for a new, dopamine-filled activity. But, I will continue writing, even if my words aren't the most novel, and no one will read it. Because it's the act of writing itself that's important. It's the act of communicating that's important. It's the act of connecting thoughts together that's important.
So, please - I implore you. Don't allow AI to become your mental crutch. Keep learning, and keep challenging your brain to think deeply.
Tomorrow's problems will require all the tools we can muster. And this includes our active, creative brains. Agents are impressive, but they're not superintelligence. This means, right now, our brains are our best shot for designing new solutions to challenging problems.
So, friends. Drink your water. Eat your vegetables. And, please, for the love of god. Use your fucking brain.