In an era defined by instant information and digital convenience, the value of deep thinking and informed expertise is becoming alarmingly absent. Generative artificial intelligence is rapidly evolving into a powerful tool, capable of generating knowledge, twisting truths and shaping global landscapes. The convergence of these two forces poses a threat to truth, education and human autonomy.
AI is becoming increasingly common in day to day lives. Among college students, 86% report they use AI in their studies and 56% of that use it weekly. This transition did not appear overnight, it has been slowly growing and immersing itself in our culture. From Chat GPT and Snapchat's MyAI to AI overviews on every Google search, people are slowly becoming acclimatized to this ever present digital companion.
AI like ChatGPT is capable of mimicking the superficial characteristics of human language, structure and knowledge, but lacks the intricate stream of consciousness that defines human thought. AI only follows patterns from data and algorithms compiled over time. It can only go as far as its creator and programming allow. What it lacks is our greatest advantage, authentic human emotions, creativity and lived experience.
Chat GPT might be able to learn how to mimic these things, but the human mind is unpredictable and ever changing. We experience new things every day, struck with new ideas through genius or random frustrations and often time, mistakes. Unlike lines of code and data, humans can experience creativity and thoughtfulness that produces new ideas far beyond comprehension of AI.
The reliance on such technologies spawns from a resurgence of anti-intellectualism. Anti-intellectualism refers to a skepticism or disdain for intellectual thought and those who embody intellect. Oftentimes this manifests as a belief that educated individuals and those who advertise academia are out of touch. Historically, prevalence of this phenomenon fluctuates, specifically in politically and socially trying times, when people seek simple answers for complex problems
It functions less as a school of thought and more of a cultural response; a way to uphold certain ideas and systems those in power may be pushing. It's used as a way to stop the acquisition of knowledge that may dismantle the groups with power and privilege. It undermines the words of academics, painting them as silly, and supports willful ignorance.
Richard Hofstadter states “Intelligence will seize the immediate meaning in a situation and evaluate it. Intellect evaluates evaluations, and looks for meanings of situations as a whole.”
Hofstader also details the pursuit of truth, the true quest of an intellectual. A never ending and never satisfied need for the next uncertainty to be turned upside down and every which way. This pursuit of truth is what seems to be awfully lacking.
Chat GPT only gives an illusion of this intellect. It replicates superficial qualities of human language and thought, not an understanding of these ideas. For students especially, it delivers a dangerous temptation. You do yourself major disservice by taking away opportunities to wrestle with ideas or to understand nuances. You are copying a machine telling you an answer that sounds right and denying yourself the opportunity of thought and critical thinking.
In recent years intellect has been branded as unnecessary or even pretentious, but this could not be farther from the truth. At its core, intellectualism drives progress and provides space to challenge norms that impede on our freedoms. It is important for us to provoke our brains constantly to break patterns of passive minds.
We must reclaim our commitment to truth, curiosity and courage to think deeply. Value questions just as much as answers, recognize learning is not elitism but empowerment. Read often and widely, become comfortable with not knowing everything and more importantly being wrong. Immerse yourself in the idea of changing your mind. That is where growth begins.
Question everything, ignore nothing. In an age where misinformation thrives and convenience tempts us to stop our questioning, resist and clutch onto passion for knowledge.
The path forward is not to reject complexity, but to embrace it. Turn each classroom discussion, new discoveries and essays into an act of resistance against apathy. When we defend our intellect, we defend the best of what humanity can be.
Lily is a Sophomore studying integrated language arts at Ohio University. Please note the opinions expressed in this column do not represent those of The Post. Want to talk to Lily about their column? Email them at lm054424@ohio.edu.
