Summary of "Как ИИ влияет на нашу работоспособность, креативность и мышление"

Summary of “Как ИИ влияет на нашу работоспособность, креативность и мышление”

This video by Slava Gris explores how artificial intelligence (AI), specifically neural networks like GPT chat and Midjourney, impacts human productivity, creativity, and thinking processes. The discussion is grounded in psychological research and personal experience, highlighting both the potential benefits and significant cognitive drawbacks of AI usage.

Main Ideas and Concepts

Initial Stance on Neural Networks The speaker does not criticize neural networks merely for being new technology or for producing mixed-quality results. He acknowledges the impressive outputs (art, videos, code) but focuses on the cognitive and psychological effects of AI use. Emphasizes the importance of understanding how the brain works when using new tools.
Personal Experience with AI Tools While developing a visual novel, the speaker used Midjourney for graphics but found the process mentally numbing. The feeling was that the AI was improving, not the speaker’s own skills. This led to abandoning the project, prompting a shift from developer to psychologist perspective on AI.
Research Findings on AI’s Cognitive Impact
- Swiss Study (666 participants): Increased AI use correlates with lower cognitive effort (“cognitive unloading”) and decreased critical thinking ability. Cognitive unloading means relying on AI to do thinking, which reduces mental engagement.
- Google Effect: People remember where to find information rather than the information itself. This leads to superficial knowledge that does not participate in decision-making or critical thinking.
- Indonesian Students Study: 75% showed a decline in critical thinking after AI use.
- Knowledge Workers Study: Freed cognitive resources from AI use were spent on verifying AI outputs, not on creative or productive tasks. This verification adds cognitive load, negating some benefits.
- Artificially Induced Cognitive Atrophy: Researchers propose this term to differentiate neural network addiction from general internet addiction. AI provides highly personalized content, increasing engagement and addiction risk.
Memory and Learning Deficits Students writing essays with AI showed 0% accuracy in recalling quotes, while those writing manually had perfect recall. Using AI leads to poorer memory retention and distorted recall. Manual writing engages nonverbal memory and idea generation areas better than digital or AI-assisted work. Lack of memory retention undermines critical thinking and informed decision-making.
Critical Thinking and Creativity Critical thinking involves attentiveness, causal reasoning, error recognition, argument selection, and self-questioning. The World Economic Forum (2025) ranks critical thinking 4th in demand, with innovation and creativity also highly valued. Some studies show AI improves divergent thinking (generating many ideas), e.g., in a paperclip task. However, longer-term studies (University of Toronto, 1,100 participants) show AI users become dependent and less able to apply ideas independently. Over time, AI use may degrade creativity and thinking, similar to drug addiction patterns.
Understanding Thinking and Knowledge Access to vast information (e.g., via smartphones or AI) does not equal understanding or knowledge. Knowledge requires context, comprehension, and personal engagement. AI can summarize or highlight main points but without personal understanding, this does not lead to true knowledge.

Example: Reading isolated quotes or AI summaries lacks depth and context, limiting meaningful learning.

Associative Chains and Memory Human memory works through associative chains linking ideas, which aid creativity and recall. AI provides shallow lists or summaries that do not form strong associative links, making information less memorable. Deep understanding grows from personal engagement and forming convictions, which AI use can hinder.
Educational Impact A study on schoolchildren showed AI-assisted learning led to 17% worse exam results in non-AI conditions. AI integration in education risks lowering cognitive abilities and critical thinking in students. The speaker warns against becoming mentally dependent on AI tools.
Addiction to AI 73% of AI users in work contexts show symptoms of AI addiction: irritability, reduced cognitive flexibility, insomnia, withdrawal. AI addiction is psychological, similar to gambling or nicotine dependence. Despite awareness of harm, users struggle to control usage due to habitual and automatic behaviors. Withdrawal and giving up AI use is challenging.
Routine, Boredom, and Creativity Routine and boredom are important drivers of creativity. AI removes boredom by doing routine tasks, potentially stifling motivation for creative exploration.

Personal example: Boredom motivated the speaker to add complex animations and improve game development skills.
Consumption of AI-Generated Content AI-generated art and media often lack context, reducing emotional and intellectual engagement. Context (author’s background, creative process) enriches appreciation and understanding. AI art detection tools sometimes mislabel human art as AI-generated, causing frustration among artists.
The Future of AI in Society AI adoption is extremely rapid, faster than smartphones or electricity. Two possible futures: - Optimistic: Society recognizes harms and regulates AI use, similar to how harmful substances were eventually controlled. - Pessimistic: Humanity loses critical thinking, creativity, and reasoning abilities, leading to intellectual decline (“idiocracy”).

The speaker advocates against AI use to delay negative outcomes.
Final Reflections AI offers quick work completion but at the cost of critical thinking and cognitive ability. The trade-off is likened to sacrificing a part of the brain for short-term gain. While some professions may require AI, many do not, and it’s possible to work without it. Balanced, minimal AI use may reduce harm but addiction risk remains high. The speaker calls for awareness, critical evaluation of AI research (especially industry-sponsored), and cautious use.

Methodology / Instructions / Recommendations

Be aware of the cognitive costs of AI usage: Understand that relying on AI reduces mental effort and critical thinking.
Engage actively with information: Avoid passive consumption of AI summaries; seek context and personal comprehension.
Limit AI use: Use AI tools sparingly to prevent cognitive atrophy and addiction.
Develop critical thinking skills: Practice questioning, reasoning, and memory retention without overreliance on AI.
Value routine and boredom: Allow space for boredom as a motivator for creativity and deeper engagement.
Verify AI outputs: Always fact-check AI-generated information to avoid misinformation and additional cognitive load.
Educate critically: Be cautious about integrating AI into education; balance traditional learning methods with AI assistance.
Diversify information sources: Don’t rely solely on AI or any single source; cross-check and explore multiple perspectives.
Recognize addiction signs: Monitor for irritability, reduced cognitive flexibility, and withdrawal symptoms related to AI use.
Support research transparency: Consider the source and funding of AI studies, especially those sponsored by interested corporations.
Maintain personal agency: Strive to keep control over your cognitive processes and decision-making, resisting passive dependence on AI.

Speakers / Sources Featured

Slava Gris: Main speaker and author; game developer and commentator.
Swiss Psychological Study (666 participants): Research on AI use, cognitive unloading, and critical thinking.
2023 Study on Google Effect: Research on memory and information retrieval.
Study of 245 Indonesian Students: Decline in critical thinking with AI use.
Study on 319 Knowledge Workers: Cognitive load from verifying AI outputs.
University of Toronto Study (1,100 participants): Long-term effects of AI on creativity.
Schoolchildren Study (non-Microsoft sponsored): AI-assisted education leading to worse exam results.
Canadian Study on AI Addiction: Symptoms of AI dependency in regular users.
World Economic Forum (2025): Rankings of skills in demand, including critical thinking and creativity.
Microsoft: Mentioned as a sponsor of some AI research promoting AI benefits.
Other cultural references:
- Film Requiem for a Dream (drug addiction metaphor).
- Game To the Moon (example of contextual experience vs. AI summary).
- Artist Brom (example of contextual appreciation of art).
- Ilya Kuvshinov (artist whose work was misclassified as AI-generated).

Overall, the video provides a nuanced, research-backed critique of AI’s impact on human cognition, creativity, and work, warning against overdependence and advocating for mindful, balanced use.