How AI flips the old rule: tech no longer adapts to us

Research backs the concern. Oxford University Press warned last year that generative AI can make students faster and more fluent while quietly reducing the depth of learning that comes from pausing, questioning, and working through problems independently. A separate report from the Work AI Institute found that AI often creates an illusion of expertise, making users feel more capable even as some underlying skills erode.

Nosta sees AI as one example of a broader trend. He points to GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic, originally developed for diabetes and now widely used for weight loss. Researchers are studying whether the same drugs reduce cravings for alcohol, nicotine, and compulsive behaviors. The pattern is the same: instead of redesigning environments to suit people, the innovation modifies human behavior to function within existing environments. "The organism is the project," Nosta said.

Still, Nosta does not argue that AI is inherently harmful. He distinguishes between "iterative intelligence," where people use AI to deepen understanding through conversation, and "cognitive surrender," where they accept AI-generated answers without engaging the thinking process.

Vivienne Ming, chief scientist at the Possibility Institute, raised a similar point in March. Her research found that most AI users rely on the technology to think less, while a minority use it to think better. She described the preferred mode as "productive friction" – using AI as a collaborator, exploring ideas, challenging assumptions, and pushing problems forward. Nosta calls the same concept "iterative intelligence."

"The ability to engage with technology, with large language models, is an extraordinary opportunity for humanity to advance itself," Nosta said.

The condition, he said, is that people resist what he calls the "myth" that AI's greatest value is speed. Using it as a thinking partner, even if that means spending more time wrestling with ideas, is the path that preserves human cognition.