Generative AI and the Decline of Human Thinking

Generative AI has become deeply embedded in academic life, offering new learning opportunities while simultaneously encouraging cognitive offloading that weakens essential skills such as memory, critical thinking, and independent reasoning. Drawing on research from cognitive science, education, and ethics, this paper argues that addressing these risks requires strengthening AI literacy, redesigning learning practices, and reaffirming the uniquely human cognitive capacities that AI cannot replicate.