What are we trading away in the face of Artificial Intelligence? - Deb Hetherington
When I was growing up, learning was tactile; textbooks, teachers, personal struggle with new ideas. I got my first mobile at 16, my first smart phone at 22, and I didn’t have access to home internet until my mid twenties. We researched topics the ‘old-fashioned’ way: effort, time, questioning, and sometimes frustration.
Today people have access to something extraordinary. The default has shifted to ‘ask Chat GPT’, and answers come instantly. For people in their 30’s, 40’s and above, this can be incredibly useful to build on the foundations of knowledge we already have, but for those starting out on their journey of education, who haven’t yet learned how to learn, the impact on cognitive development is potentially startling.
AI tools like ChatGPT are everywhere, and young people are using them in huge numbers. Some studies suggest 86 per cent of students regularly use AI tools in their studies, with over half using them at least weekly. This explosive adoption reflects how intuitive and useful these tools can be, they help explain concepts, summarise complex texts, generate ideas and even debug code. In many ways, they are the ultimate study aid. But that convenience comes with a serious question: what are we trading away in the process?
Learning isn’t just about getting answers. It’s about wrestling with ambiguity, constructing arguments, understanding complexity, and forging your own thinking. When the first instinct is to ask AI, we risk short-circuiting the very processes that build cognitive resilience and deep understanding. There is growing concern, not least among educators, that heavy reliance on AI could erode critical thinking and diminish foundational skills in research and analysis.
We are at an important historical inflection point: the tools of today will shape the minds of tomorrow. Are we equipping young people with the intellectual muscles they need to navigate a complex world, or are we quietly outsourcing thought to algorithms? There’s a risk that if AI becomes a crutch, future generations might struggle to engage deeply with ideas, challenge assumptions or generate original perspectives, the very skills that innovation, leadership and democratic citizenship depend on.
So, what’s the solution? Regulation alone won’t suffice. Tighter learning guidelines might help, but they won’t address the fundamental question: how should AI be integrated into education in ways that enhance (not replace) human thinking?
What we need now is a more thoughtful approach that equips young people to use AI without being shaped by it. That starts with properly teaching AI literacy, so students understand not just how to prompt and produce answers, but how these tools work, where they can mislead, and the biases and risks they can carry.
At the same time, we must strengthen critical thinking and research rigour within the curriculum, recognising AI as a useful partner in learning rather than a substitute for independent thought. And finally, we need to encourage ethical and reflective use of AI, so young people develop the habit of questioning what they are given, evaluating sources and interpretations, and forming their own views instead of simply accepting pre-packaged outputs.
Deb Hetherington is director of innovation at Scarborough Group International and director of Leeds Digital.