AI could hollow out the next generation of workers

"Unless we invest in the next generation and ensure that they learn foundational and analytical skills, businesses could end up with workers who know how to use AI tools but lack the foundational expertise needed to judge whether the output is actually correct."

"“You would just get better at using AI, but you will confuse that with thinking that you're good at the actual topic,” he said. Slater pointed to research suggesting that overreliance on AI can weaken learning."

"He cited an MIT study from last June that tracked 54 participants over four months and found that people who used ChatGPT to write essays showed lower brain engagement and often struggled to remember or quote from work they had produced only minutes earlier."

"AI is training humans to think backward by giving polished answers before people fully understand them. Vivienne Ming said that most users are relying on AI to think for them rather than using it to deepen their reasoning."

AI can increase young workers’ speed and output while reducing the development of deep expertise. Companies that adopt AI too aggressively may hollow out the pipeline that trains future professionals. Without investment in foundational and analytical skills, workers may learn to operate AI tools but lack the knowledge needed to verify whether outputs are correct. Overreliance can erode critical thinking and learning by encouraging polished answers before understanding. Research cited includes an MIT study tracking participants over four months, where those using ChatGPT to write essays showed lower brain engagement and difficulty recalling or quoting their own work. The result is higher short-term productivity paired with weaker long-term capability.

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