A growing number of people today believe that the excessive use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools is weakening human thinking. There are reasons to disagree with such a narrative.
History tells us that every major technological breakthrough was first met with misplaced fear, resistance and doubt. When calculators were introduced, teachers and mentors warned that students would forget how to perform basic arithmetic. Later, when scientific calculators, digital diaries and computers arrived, society again viewed them with suspicion. Yet, time proved that each invention expanded the human capacity.
There was a time when students used to memorise multiplication tables and did all calculations manually. The arrival of the calculator did not make the human mind lazy; it made it more analytical, creative and capable of solving complex problems. In the same way, modern AI tools are simply the next step in this continuous evolutionary journey of human intellect and innovation.
Instead of fearing these technologies, we should learn to use them wisely. AI tools can serve as intelligent assistants — enhancing creativity, improving communication and saving time — if used with purpose and discipline. Human progress has always moved forward, not backward. From abacus to AI, every leap of technology has opened new doors of understanding and discovery.
AHSAN UL HAQ SHAIKH
CHUNIAN
