Interesting article about AIās impact on critical thinking and how to resolve it. Automating monotonous tasks means there will be much more time spent on deep thinking tasks, which isnāt something that anyone can sustain indefinitely. Splitting time between critical thinking and easier administrative tasks seems like a good approach.
Hereās a quick breakdown of the article:
The Problem:
AI isnāt reducing workload, itās increasing cognitive strain
New research shows AI often adds mental load instead of removing it, leading to fatigue and burnout.
The brain has strict limits, and AI pushes past them
Humans are bad at multitasking and juggling information; managing multiple AI tools overwhelms working and intermediate-term memory.
āAI brain fryā = mental overload from managing AI systems
Constant prompting, reviewing, and coordinating AI outputs creates a new layer of work rather than eliminating it.
Creativity actually suffers in AI-heavy environments
Breakthrough thinking happens when the brain is quiet, not when itās overloaded with inputs and tasks.
More AI tools ā more productivity
Productivity improves with a few tools, but drops when workers use too many at once.
Why This Matters
Burnout risk increases, even with ātime-savingā tech
Employees may feel busier, not more effective
Overuse of AI can hurt decision-making and retention
Leaders risk mistaking activity (AI usage) for real output
What Leaders Should Do
Create protected āquiet timeā for deep thinking
No meetings, no AI, just focused or reflective work
This is funny only because this is pretty much 90% of my work now: managing and pushing forward several different projects. I am constantly forgetting what I did the day before or the week before.
The article seems to be pretty on point but I do wonder if weāll keep getting better and the cognitive load might become a little more manageable.
I think this starts with higher expectations. More results, less cognitive load.
Thereās a decoupling happening, and the idea of an honest dayās work feels a bit out of sync right now.
The amount of editing work people are doing feels off, or just like too much. Itās always been there, most teams just havenāt had to face it. AI pushes you into it fast, and for a lot of people, itās not the work they signed up for.
But this layer has always existed. Getting it right has always taken way more time than people think. The ones who lean into AI are the ones who figure out how to manage that load and reset expectations.
I still see managing agents and doing work with AI being, in some ways, managing groups of people. I do think there is a significant amount more of hand-holding, and the speed of the feedback loops increase significantly.
I have personally experienced this cognitive strain, as have other writers I follow. It feels like drinking from a firehose. Itās amazing but also strange as I feel physically exhausted by simply trying to keep up with what the AI seems very anxious to complete in one shot.
I make sure to do a planning phase with AI before an executional phase. One shotting isnāt necessarily bad if everything is planned and reviewed beforehand.
I really need to keep making sure to get walks in! Itās so hard when youāre trying to push as fast and effectively as possible, but feels so necessary to keep your mind and body healthy.
Itās annoying, but all those people who preach āget up early, eat good food, get some exerciseā are actually right I usually find around 2-3pm on a work day is when my brain needs a little physical activity to reset
Thanks for sharing @caoimghgin! To @Bryanās point itās like taking care of 6 Tamagotchis at once, but those Tamagotchis didnāt have the business goals of enterprise companies on the line
Agreed. I feel that too, and see patterns emerging. Even when you use these tools to the max. Iāve found the best, most fullfilling work still happens when you get into FLOW state.
Another area Iāve explored when trying to avoid the brain drain is using different inputsā¦ speaking to AI, instead of typing, mixes up the patterns and gives me a fresh perspective.
I usually find around 2-3pm on a work day is when my brain needs a little physical activity to reset
