AI users are turning to bots for life's decisions, and researchers worry they're losing the habit of thinking for themselves.
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People are giving away their most powerful tool to AI: The ability to think.Across TikTok and Substack, users are posting about how they have become so dependent on AI that they use it to make basic and personal life decisions — what to eat, what to wear, how to phrase a message to friends, or how to navigate a toxic relationship.What may seem like a harmless convenience is becoming increasingly common. And researchers say it could have profound consequences. The more people rely on AI to make decisions, the less practice they get making difficult decisions on their own.Over time, that risks weakening the cognitive and social skills people develop through experience, uncertainty, and trial and error. In more extreme cases, AI researchers say it could begin shaping not just what people do, but also the beliefs they hold."We want to believe we're becoming more powerful thanks to our [AI] tools," Cornelia C. Walther, a Wharton senior fellow and pro-social AI researcher, said. "But in fact, we're giving away ever more power.""We are only half a step away from reliance and maybe in a not-too-far future full-blown addiction," she said.Should I stay or should I go?Carolyn Yoo, a former software engineer who worked in tech for nine years until mid-2024, felt the draw of a decision-making chatbot firsthand.
