Every decade, a shiny new tool promises to “revolutionize” education and learning.

Radio.

TV.

Computers.

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs).

Now AI.

But if you walk into most classrooms today, you’ll still see something eerily familiar.

Rows of desks. A whiteboard. A teacher doing most of the talking.

Despite the tech, not much has changed.

Because learning has never been about access…

It’s about the willingness to learn and to put in the effort.

In a recent study from MIT, researchers asked students to write essays under three conditions: with ChatGPT, with a search engine, or with no external help at all. As they worked, their brain activity was monitored using EEG headsets.

The findings?

→ Students in the “brain-only” group showed the strongest brain connectivity—especially in regions tied to memory and attention.

→ Students who used ChatGPT had the weakest brain engagement.

→ When asked to recall a sentence from their essays, 89% of the “brain-only” group got it right.

→ In the ChatGPT group? Zero percent.

Not one person could recall what they wrote.

Why? Because when you outsource the effort, you outsource the learning.

The researchers called it cognitive debt, a kind of mental shortfall where ease replaces understanding.

So no, AI didn’t rot anyone’s brain. But it did reveal something deeper:

Most people didn’t learn because they didn’t engage.

And that’s the real divide AI will create.

The 1% Will Use AI to Learn Faster. The 99% Won’t Use It to Learn At All.

Let’s be blunt.

Some people don’t want to learn.

Not really.

They want shortcuts. Templates. Done-for-you thinking.

For that group, AI changes nothing.

Education isn’t suddenly more effective because AI exists. For most, it stays the same—a passive experience.

Because real learning was never about the information.

It was about the environment—and the effort that follows.

Education, in its truest form, is social.

It’s like being in a gym class:

→ Your peers push you.

→ Your coach demands one more rep.

→ You show up—not because it’s easy, but because the group holds you to a standard.

That’s why I don’t think AI will replace education.

It won’t replace coaches. Or teachers. Or mentors.

Our job, as educators, is the same as ever:

→ Create the space for effort.

→ Cultivate reflection and feedback.

→ Hold people accountable to one more rep.

AI is a tool. But the will to learn still has to come from the learner.

If you do want to learn, here’s how to use AI the right way:

1️⃣ Struggle First. Then Ask.

The MIT study showed this clearly: people who wrestled with the task deeply remembered their work, felt ownership, and had stronger brain activity.

So before asking AI for help:

→ Sit with the problem.

→ Draft your own thoughts.

→ Let your brain lift the heavy weight first.

Only then should AI step in—to help refine, not replace.

→ “Can you rephrase this for clarity?”

→ “Is there a clearer way to frame this argument?”

This is how you keep your brain in the loop.

An example of outsourcing the thought might be a medical student just asking ChatGPT for differential diagnoses for every patient that he sees.

An easy fix can be the student first creating a list of potential diagnoses first and then asking ChatGPT to see if he missed any important ones.

Then, further clarifying why ChatGPT suggested those diagnoses.

✔️ Think first. Then prompt.

2️⃣ Use AI as a Feedback Partner, Not a Task Completer

10 years ago, I was stuck debugging Stata code for days.

Now, I get unstuck in minutes with instant, thoughtful feedback.

Similarly, in manuscript writing…

Instead of using AI as your shortcut, use it as your challenger.

→ “What gaps are in my reasoning?”

→ “What’s the counterargument I’m missing?”

→ “Would this hold up in a peer review?”

When used this way, AI doesn’t erode thinking. It strengthens it.

And here’s a practical tip: treat your AI workflow like an experiment.

Try different methods—co-writing, outlining, editing. Then reflect on which ones leave you thinking more clearly, not just finishing more quickly.

✔️ Sharpen your thinking, don’t outsource it.

3️⃣ Expand Understanding Through Analogy and Experimentation

Great learners don’t memorize, they understand deeply.

→ “Explain regression like I’m five.”

→ “Use a kitchen metaphor for mediation analysis.” (This is how ChatGPT explained it to me– interesting indeed. Something I can definitely use in my next cohort.)

→ “What would a football coach say about p-values?”

Each frame adds another hook in the neuronal synapse in the brain. And strengthens those newly formed connections.

Also: try small experiments with AI.

→ Use it for brainstorming.

→ Use it for feedback.

→ Use it to reframe your thinking.

Then reflect:

→ Did this make me feel more confident in what I know?

→ Would I be able to explain it tomorrow, without help?

That’s the test.

✔️ Measure your growth, not just your productivity.

AI Reveals the Gap. It Doesn’t Close It.

The MIT study didn’t show that AI is dangerous.

It showed that when we skip effort, we skip learning.

AI didn’t create that. It just made the difference more visible.

So yes, AI will make some people learn faster than ever before.

But for others?

Nothing changes. Because the will to learn was never there to begin with.

Which is why teaching still matters.

Mentorship still matters.

Coaching still matters.

Because someone has to set the bar. Hold the space. Push the next rep.

That’s us.

So ask yourself:

Are you going to be in the 99% who drift?

Or the 1% who grow?

Because the gap is only getting wider.

And AI just turned on the lights.

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