A hidden cost of AI

I’m enjoying using Claude to make me more effective, and I notice most of my clients are doing the same.

I’ve also noticed a downside and thought I’d highlight it.

“Claude, draft an email response to….”

“Claude, write a LinkedIn post on the subject of…”

“Claude, can you help with this problem….?

Claude (and others, I presume) are so good at performing many tasks it becomes the default start to doing almost anything.

Writers have known about ‘Blank page syndrome’ triggering anxiety and increasing writers block, for many years.

By delegating to your ever ready AI Assistant you can avoid blank page syndrome and it feels like you are more productive.  And you may well be more productive.  The downside is that it tends to increase blank page syndrome and our dependence on AI.

And as AI takes on more and more production, what’s left for us?

We need to be more creative, more agile, more strategic.

When my clients write a Strategic Annual Plan, it gives us something tangible to review every month.  Individuals and Teams compare progress to expectation, challenge their own assumptions and reveal blind spots that impede progress.

And now I’m hearing from colleagues that some clients are using AI to complete the Curve Plan reviews!  The very tool that will keep them ahead of AI, they are using to give the impression of engaging with their own learning while their own critical thinking skills atrophies. 

The challenge is that strategic thinking does take more brain energy.  And the organ that unconsciously decides on your brain energy management (your brain) often resists the effort that complex thinking requires.

The antidote, and your mission, should you choose to accept it, is training your brain to think differently, more strategically.

How to train your brain, or the brains of your team, is a great starting point question.

Post your suggestions in the comments section, or post Where to start? And I’ll share some pointers.

Article written all by myself!