It’s rare these days for me to speak publicly about AI. But here I am, writing about artificial intelligence—not from a technical perspective, but from a human one. It’s about how we use AI—or perhaps how we shouldn’t use it. And yes, I admit it: I have a problem with AI.

Let me be clear: I’m not against AI. I’m not here to downplay its potential or deny its usefulness. AI has plenty of fantastic use cases, and we’ve all seen the benefits it can bring. Tools like ChatGPT and Claude have become invaluable copilots in my daily work and personal life, helping me save time and streamline my tasks.

But my concern isn’t about AI itself. It’s about how we use it.

I know this sounds dramatic, but hear me out. Learning to use AI responsibly and effectively might just be the defining skill of our generation.

Why do I think this? It’s something I’ve been reflecting on a lot lately, especially after attending this year’s Web Summit in Lisbon.

The Web Summit was, frankly, underwhelming. Beyond the overly packed schedule and lackluster speaker quality, there was one thing that stood out: the overwhelming focus on AI. It felt like every single session, every topic, every conversation revolved around artificial intelligence. The underlying message was loud and clear: If you’re not using AI, you’re falling behind.

At first, I thought, “Okay, fair enough.” But the more I observed, the more uneasy I became.

What really struck me wasn’t just the hype—it was how people were interacting with AI tools. Everywhere I looked, people were glued to their virtual assistants, typing in question after question, relying on them for every little thing.

And here’s the problem: AI tools like ChatGPT are designed to give you answers, but they’re also designed to please you. They rarely challenge your assumptions; instead, they often reinforce them. It’s like having a virtual “yes man” at your fingertips, constantly patting you on the back.

I’ve started noticing something unsettling: the more people rely on these tools, the less they seem to engage in critical thinking. My parents once teased me for Googling every random question I had, and now I find myself laughing at my younger self for doing that. But at least with Google, I was forced to sift through sources and think critically about the information I found. With AI, the instant gratification of a single, polished answer makes that extra step seem unnecessary.

And that’s dangerous.

I realized just how much this reliance on AI bothered me after reflecting on the Web Summit. This was one of the largest tech conferences in the world, yet I walked away feeling like I hadn’t learned anything new. Every session felt like a rehash of something I’d heard before. And that’s shocking because, let’s face it, I’m not the smartest person in the room.

The issue isn’t just about AI regurgitating familiar ideas—it’s about us losing the habit of questioning, analyzing, and thinking for ourselves.

AI tools are just that: tools. But if we depend on them too heavily, we risk becoming overly reliant, even complacent. As the saying goes, a fool with a tool is still a fool.

So yes, learn to play the AI game—it’s a skill worth having. But don’t let it take over your ability to think critically. Ask yourself: Am I using AI to enhance my thinking, or am I letting it replace it?

In the end, the real power lies not in the tool itself, but in how you choose to wield it.