When the “Wow” Factor Wore Off
After the initial wow factor of AI wore off, I fell into a second trap—one that was much harder to spot.
I started using AI as a shortcut for thinking.
Whenever I hit a wall—even a small one—I’d reflexively open a tab and ask:
- “What should I do here?”
- “Give me some ideas for this.”
On the surface, it worked.
I always got a response.
I always felt like I was moving fast.
But after a few weeks, I noticed something that honestly bothered me:
The more I relied on AI for answers, the flimsier my own thinking felt.
The Silent Dependency
What I eventually realized was uncomfortable.
I was outsourcing the most important part of my work—the messy middle.
That part where:
- You don’t fully understand the problem yet
- Your opinion is half-formed
- You feel slightly stuck and unsure
Instead of sitting with that discomfort, I was skipping straight to the clean, confident AI version.
It felt efficient.
But it was hollow.
My ideas started sounding like everyone else’s.
My decisions felt borrowed, not owned.
If someone asked me why I chose a certain path, I didn’t really have an answer. I was just following a suggestion.
I wasn’t lazy in my actions—I was still “working.”
But I was becoming passive in my thinking.
Answers Are Cheap
The turning point came when I caught myself accepting an AI response without even checking the logic.
That scared me a little.
Not because the answer was wrong—but because I didn’t even care whether it was right.
I just wanted the task off my plate.
That’s when it clicked:
If you stop exercising judgment, you slowly lose it.
AI can generate answers endlessly.
But it has no skin in the game.
It doesn’t know what matters in your situation.
It doesn’t understand your values, your trade-offs, or what you’re trying to protect.
That part still has to stay human.
From “Crutch” to “Sparring Partner”
I haven’t stopped using AI.
But I’ve completely changed how I talk to it.
Instead of asking for the right answer, I use it to stress-test my thinking.
Now, instead of “Give me ideas,” I ask things like:
- “Here’s my plan—tell me why it’s a bad idea.”
- “I’m biased toward Option A. Make the strongest case for Option B.”
- “What assumptions am I making that could be totally wrong?”
Something shifted immediately.
AI stopped being a crutch and started acting like resistance training for my brain.
It wasn’t replacing the thinking anymore.
It was forcing me to be clearer and more honest about it.
Why This Matters More Than “Saving Time”
Everyone talks about AI saving time.
But I’m more worried about it saving us from effort.
If I become 10% faster but 50% less original, that’s a terrible trade.
Real leverage isn’t about speed alone.
It’s about making sure you are still holding the steering wheel.
AI should amplify judgment—not quietly replace it.
I’m Still Figuring This Out
I won’t pretend I’ve solved this.
There are still days when I want the machine to just tell me what to do so I can log off early.
But I’m getting better at catching myself.
Now, whenever I feel stuck, I try to pause and ask one question before touching the keyboard:
“What do I think about this—right now—before I ask for help?”
Even a bad, incomplete thought is better than skipping that step entirely.
Final Thought
AI is an incredible tool.
But the moment you hand over the thinking, you don’t gain power—you lose your edge.
I’m still learning where that line is.
At least now, I know what I’m trying to protect.