Why did Microsoft admit that AI is making us stupid?

The tech giant's own research shows a disturbing trend: The more we trust AI, the less we think for ourselves.

- Parmy Olson

Microsoft plans to spend US$80 billion (S$107.4 billion) on artificial intelligence (AI) in 2025, reinforcing its position as a leading vendor. So why did it recently publish a research paper showing an erosion of critical thinking skills among workers using generative AI tools such as ChatGPT? If we were being generous, we could say it was genuine scientific inquiry. More likely, it wants to keep ahead of the curve as AI disrupts certain jobs, and ensure that its tools remain useful to businesses. At a time when Big Tech is racing to make AI models bigger, that's a refreshingly thoughtful approach both to the industry's business model and its social outcomes.

The study, carried out in conjunction with researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, surveyed 319 knowledge workers about how they used AI, including a teacher generating images for a presentation about hand-washing to her students using Dall-E 2 and a commodities' trader generating strategies using ChatGPT.

The researchers found a striking pattern: The more participants trusted AI for certain tasks, the less they practiced those skills themselves, such as writing, analysis and critical evaluations. As a result, they self-reported an atrophying of skills in those areas. Several respondents said they started to doubt their abilities to perform tasks such as verifying grammar in text or composing legal letters, which led them to automatically accept whatever generative AI gave them.