Although companies are actively encouraging the use of artificial intelligence to increase productivity, excessive enthusiasm for chatbots risks leading to atrophy of basic skills and devaluing a specialist in the labor market.
This was warned by David Martin, global head of People and Organization at Boston Consulting Group (BCG), in an interview with Business Insider.
A BCG study of more than 70 top executives found that half of leaders are already seeing a real decline in critical skills in their organizations. The skills that are disappearing the fastest are those that are key to long-term success:
However, only one in ten companies has a specific plan to combat this problem.
David Martin named the two main habits that are most detrimental to the critical thinking of professionals.
When an employee, instead of independently processing a document or presentation, only reads a summary generated by artificial intelligence, this becomes immediately noticeable.
According to the expert, such people are unable to answer any clarifying questions and only know what the AI “told” them. Strong specialists, even after receiving an extract from artificial intelligence, always apply critical thinking and delve into details.
Using AI for routine tasks (e.g., writing draft letters) is the norm, but outsourcing strategic decisions and core tasks leads to degradation.
The expert advises not to accept AI answers as truth, but to treat them as an opponent. You need to ask yourself the question: "Suppose this answer is incorrect or incomplete - where exactly is the error?" and independently check the generated content.
To halt cognitive decline, David Martin recommends taking a one-week conscious break from using artificial intelligence once a quarter.
The goal of this practice is to prove to yourself and your employer that you are able to perform your duties efficiently and effectively without the help of technology.
