Lately I’ve been wondering about something.
Not whether AI is making me more productive.
Not whether it’s saving me time.
Not whether it’s helping me learn.
I’ve been wondering whether it’s making me less observant.
For most of my life, noticing things was part of the process.
If I wanted to understand something, I had to pay attention. I had to read carefully, compare sources, look for patterns, and sit with questions long enough for details to emerge.
Observation wasn’t a separate skill. It was simply part of how I moved through the world.
Now I find myself wondering what happens when answers arrive before observation has a chance to do its work.
If I ask AI to summarize an article, am I paying less attention to the article itself?
If I ask AI to describe a trend, am I noticing fewer examples with my own eyes?
If I ask AI what something means, am I spending less time looking at the thing I’m trying to understand?
I don’t think this is a simple yes-or-no question.
AI has also made me notice things I might have missed. It can point out patterns, connections, and perspectives that help me see beyond my own blind spots.
But there is a difference between having something pointed out to you and noticing it yourself.
One feels like receiving an answer.
The other feels like developing a skill.
I’m not convinced AI makes us less observant by default.
But I do wonder if it sometimes makes observation easier to skip.
And if observation is a skill, what happens when we practice it less often?
I don’t have an answer yet.
I’m simply paying attention to the question.
And perhaps that’s a good place to start.
