123rd Edition
Cognitive Offloading
According to Merriam-Webster, the word “cognitive” means – of, relating to, being, or involving conscious intellectual activity (such as thinking, reasoning, or remembering).
I thought I would offer a few thoughts in today’s blog about the current state of thinking, reasoning, and remembering. Today, all three seem rather fragile, often strange and convoluted, even bizarre at times. Profound thoughts and words have become more uncommon each day. Warnings of inevitable obsolescence of all three, at least by humans, pop up from time to time.
Already we have all kinds of qualifiers associated with the mental processes of knowing, learning, and understanding. For example, we have cognitive overload, cognitive dissonance, cognitive impairment, cognitive therapy, and cognitive restructuring. Now we can add a new one – cognitive offloading – the act of reducing mental effort by using external tools or actions to store or process information, rather than relying solely on internal memory or cognitive processes. (Source: AI). Sounds like it could be worse than all the others, doesn’t it?
Why does any of this matter? Let me try to explain. Virtually every societal problem we face today is made worse when those responsible for solving the problem think, reason, and remember poorly. Viable solutions cannot be found and implemented unless prudent thinking, thorough reasoning, and wisdom of experience are applied. Not only do our cognitive processes and abilities matter, they matter hugely! How confident are you in our leaders today? Are you impressed by their critical thinking and strategic decision making? Neither am I.
Wall Street columnist Allysia Finley wrote an unsettling article about the negative impact of AI primarily on critical thinking. AI gives us instant access to data and information, but so far it only provides responses to questions it is asked. What about questions that should be asked but aren’t? What about the law of unintended consequences? What about factoring in the emotional reactions that inevitably result from facing adversity, dealing with change and stress, and well, everyday life?
When it comes to serious issues – ethical, moral, spiritual, and relational, the slower a person deliberates, the longer one chews on it, as I like to say, the better the ultimate decision usually is. Finley points out in her article that the current generation of college graduates struggles with thinking slowly and deliberately. Those that can’t will likely be replaced by AI. But those that can have unlimited potential as business leaders.
Every new technology creates winners and losers. Always has, always will. Today, in our polarized, hyperbolic culture, too many pundits only see and write about one side of the issue. That’s not helpful if your goal is to build community and teamwork more broadly. The risk certainly exists that AI might be weaponized by elitists who think they should control everyone else. That won’t be helpful either.
But there are reasons to be hopeful. Leaders who can incorporate AI and other technologies to drive productivity and innovation, while instinctively knowing when to pause and reflect and not rush the process, will be the kind of leaders worth following. Wouldn’t that be a welcomed change…
If we develop the patience to slow down when we need to, we might realize that the most rewarding part of life isn’t a solo race to the top, but a communal meandering through rolling hills of joy and sorrow on a journey to a destination that can’t be found on any map.
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Michael Kayes
*These views are my personal opinions and are not the viewpoints of any company or organization.