Using AI to get smarter – myth or a lifehack?

At Introduct, we work closely with the latest technologies and help our clients to implement them in their processes. That’s why we can see the pattern that is everywhere: AI doesn’t make you smarter if you don’t want to be the one. But what AI definitely does is reshape your thinking or slowly replace it. The outcome depends entirely on your approach. In this article, we’re going to dive deeper into AI and the way it CAN or CAN’T make you smarter.

When AI Replaces Thinking: The Hidden Risk

Nowadays, more and more people start their working day by opening a chatbot and writing prompts for their task. Everything you can think of – greetings, emails, content for marketing and ads – is written by AI. Good thing when people review it and analyze it. But, unfortunately, it doesn’t happen often. Usually, they accept the answer the way it is, relying fully on AI. While it may feel productive, it’s actually replacing your structuring, analyzing, and deciding.

Recently, MIT research has shown a shocking truth: AI affects your memory, focus and critical thinking. So, your memory can get weaker, while your focus can become lower. If we talk here about critical thinking, it gets reduced. When you use AI too much without paying attention to details, your brain stops practicing decision-making. Confidence drops. Fact-checking becomes rare. This creates what experts call cognitive debt — a slow loss of core intellectual skills.

If we talk about the IT area, here’s the main danger is for developers and founders. Their work is all about decision-making and problem-solving. For developers and founders, this is especially dangerous. If AI becomes the primary author instead of a supporting tool, technical growth quietly stalls.

When AI Accelerates Learning and Expertise

We don’t say you need to stop using AI straight away. AI chatbots are still good tools for helping you in your work, but they require attention and control. To be the one who uses it professionally, we suggest you think first, ask AI second. You might create a draft, and after that, bring it to AI. You might use AI to create the final version based on your solution. The work of AI must be in testing assumptions and suggesting alternatives, not offering you the solution itself.

Nowadays, more and more AI models work as assistants, not the decision makers. They try to teach you first, explain to you the solution, instead of creating all the content and solutions. Educational AI now supports interactive flashcards, simulations, adaptive quizzes, and spaced repetition — all focused on long-term understanding, not instant answers.

For teams, in this regard, AI becomes an accelerator of real expertise. Developers master new stacks faster. Product teams validate decisions more rigorously. Founders sharpen their strategic thinking instead of outsourcing it.

As we can see, AI continues to evolve and transform itself. At Introduct, we believe that it’s just the start of an era of AI. The main idea we wanted to underline in this article is that tools don’t make you smarter — your habits do. At Introduct, we develop software solutions that make your expertise stronger, not replace it. Contact us today to get professional help.