Artificial intelligence does not think in our place. But many already allow it to do so.
Artificial intelligence has become a part of our daily lives faster than we thought.
It answers questions, gives advice, offers solutions - sometimes even in areas such as politics, elections, and issues that directly affect people's lives.
And more and more often, the same thing happens:
A person asks a question - receives an answer - and that's the end of his thinking.
The answer from artificial intelligence is perceived as a ready-made truth. Without checking. Without doubt. Without trying to understand it deeply.
And that's already becoming a problem.
Because artificial intelligence does not know what is "correct" for you. It does not understand the context, responsibility, or consequences. It does not make decisions - it simply generates text.
But the decisions still remain with the person. Even if he prefers to ignore it.
It's worth remembering a simple thing - metacognition.
This is the ability not only to think, but to understand how you think. To check yourself. To question your conclusions. To ask uncomfortable questions: "Why do I believe this?", "What is it based on?", "Who checked this?"
Without this, all information - even if it looks convincing and well-designed - simply becomes an accepted opinion.
Around this, metaphors have been born from the chess world: "centaurs" and "minotaurs".
A centaur is a person who uses artificial intelligence as a tool. He asks a question, but does not stop at the answer. He checks, sharpens, questions, compares - and only then makes a decision.
A minotaur is another scenario: asks - receives an answer - believes. That's it. There is no more thinking, but rather automatic following of the answer.
And the problem is that the "minotaur" scenario is becoming the norm. Convenient. Fast. Without effort.
And the problem is not artificial intelligence. It's just a tool.
The problem is that critical thinking and metacognition are becoming basic skills that are no longer being developed.
And that's already turning into a question of education. And in fact - a question of the survival of human thinking in the digital age.
School should teach not only how to use artificial intelligence, but also how not to let it replace human reasoning. To question. To check. Not to agree automatically.
Because if that doesn't happen - decisions will be made not by people, but by the habit of trusting machines.
And a person who stops thinking for himself will stop being a subject soon. He will become part of a system that thinks for him.
And that's no longer a matter of technology. That's a matter of who we are going to be.
Dr. Gutnik
"Civil compass"
