AI Helped Me… Until It Didn’t: A Simple Lesson on Thinking, Learning, and Staying Engaged


 So, recently I had an academic assignment to work on. The moment I saw the topic, I just smiled and told myself, “This one will be fast. I’ll use generative AI and finish quickly.”

And truly, that was the point my brain switched off. I didn’t engage. I didn’t even try to think. I simply handed the whole responsibility over to AI.


Fast-forward to when the work was “done”… yes, the assignment looked complete. Yes, it had all the parts.

But something wasn’t sitting well with me. I didn’t feel proud of the work. I couldn’t connect with it. I couldn’t even defend the ideas because they didn’t come from my own thinking.


In that moment, it became clear:

I didn’t feel fulfilled because my mind wasn’t part of the process.


So I did something that surprised even me ... I deleted everything and started again.


This time, I slowed down. I paid attention. I allowed my brain to think, to question, to connect ideas, and even to struggle a bit.

And when I finally finished, the work wasn’t perfect, but I felt like I had earned it. I could trace every sentence back to a moment of thought. I could explain it. I could stand by it. I felt fulfilled.


That experience taught me something powerful about learning in this AI age.




AI Is Smart, But Our Brains Still Need Exercise

AI can make our academic and work life feel easier. But if we are not careful, it can also make us mentally lazy.

When we allow AI to think for us, instead of thinking with us, we lose something important:


🔶 We lose the struggle that builds understanding.

🔶 We lose the small “aha” moments that come from clarity.

🔶 We lose the confidence that comes from wrestling with ideas until they make sense.

🔶 We lose the joy of saying, “Yes, this is my work.”


AI can assist us, but it should never replace our mental effort.

The brain grows by engaging, not by outsourcing.



Implications for Teachers and Students 

If this can happen to an adult, imagine what is happening to students who want shortcuts.

Imagine a child who discovers that AI can write their essay, solve their maths, and plan their project.

Imagine how quickly their brain will “switch off” if nobody guides them.


This is where teachers and parents come in.


Our goal is not to ban AI, because that is impossible.

Our goal is to help learners build thinking muscles even in an AI-rich world.


We can teach them to:


🔶 Use AI as a starting point, not a finishing line

🔶 Ask questions, not just copy answers

🔶 Compare AI’s suggestions with their own ideas

🔶 Reflect on what they’ve learned

🔶 Take ownership of their work


When young people learn to think first and use tools second, their learning becomes rich, authentic, and lasting.




My little experience reminded me of something I won’t forget:

AI is a good assistant, but it is a terrible replacement for your own mind.

🔶 Use AI for support.

🔶 Use AI for clarity.

🔶 Use AI for speed.


But don’t let it silence the part of you that grows through struggle, curiosity, and real thinking.


Because nothing feels better than looking at your work and saying,

“I did this. My brain was active. My mind was present.”


And that feeling?

It is priceless.



☘️




Dear Educators,

This week, try completing one small task without AI.

Notice how your mind feels ... the stretching, the clarity, the ownership.









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