There was a time when not knowing something meant thinking it through, searching a book, asking another person or simply sitting with the uncertainty. Now, for millions of people, there is another option: ask AI. Need the meaning of a simple word? Ask AI. Want to settle an everyday question? Ask AI. Can't remember something you probably knew yesterday? Ask AI.
The convenience is undeniable. But psychology suggests that when people routinely outsource even simple cognitive tasks, something interesting can happen: they may get fewer opportunities to practise independent thinking.
