Define: Cognitive Offloading
When you use a calculator, you lose the ability to make calculations in your head and even on paper. The more we use keyboards, the less we write in cursive. The more we use digital maps like Google Maps or Waze, the more we lose the ability to navigate using traditional maps or natural landmarks like the sun.
In general terms, the more we rely on tools, the more we lose the ability to perform tasks manually. As we move further from the details, we lose the ability to fix mistakes and think critically. We may even lose the ability to assess the accuracy of outputs.
This is the danger of cognitive offloading.
Cognitive offloading is best exemplified in Asimov’s short story The Feeling of Power from the collection Nine Tomorrows. Characters rely completely on computers for arithmetic, losing the ability to perform basic calculations manually, which underscores the dangers of over-dependence on technology.
The modern world is full of cognitive and physical offloading. We are no longer hunting for food; we buy it. We no longer run long distances; we take a car or public transportation.
Thinking AI takes this to a new level. When we searched with old Google, we received several answers—we had to choose. When we search or ask AI, we get one answer.
One Research Study: Cognitive Offloading and AI
Research is addressing this challenge in the context of AI. A recent (2025) Carnegie Mellon University and Microsoft Research paper led by Hank Lee surveyed 319 knowledge workers. One key conclusion: “Higher confidence in GenAI is associated with less critical thinking, while higher self-confidence is associated with more critical thinking.”
The right way to use GenAI is to shift the essential nature of thinking toward information verification, response integration, and task stewardship because thinking itself can be offloaded.
Five Tips for AI Thinkers to Mitigate Cognitive Offloading
- Be aware of cognitive offloading—its pros and cons.
- Invest time in thinking tasks—reflect, verify, and cross-check outputs.
- Treat all information as potentially false—verify and look for primary sources.
- Use AI tools to verify truthfulness—tip: MindLi has a function that provides a detailed report.
- Take breaks and reflect—step back periodically to process and internalize information, ensuring meaningful understanding rather than mere accumulation. Consult other humans and other AI systems.
In conclusion, I quote Erik Brynjolfsson: “Henry Ford didn’t set out to build a car that could mimic a person’s walk, so why should AI. Experts try to build systems that mimic a person’s mental abilities?”
