AI may actively compete with human thought by taking over cognitive work.

Repeated AI use may also change our willingness to think for ourselves.

High affinity is not the same as healthy function, for hemoglobin or cognition.

There is something I find fascinating about carbon monoxide. The gas is molecularly simple (one carbon and one oxygen), colorless, and odorless. Yet once it enters the blood, it takes on a "life" of its own by binding to hemoglobin with more than 200 times the affinity of oxygen. And interestingly, carbon monoxide poisoning is generally associated with a cherry-red or pink appearance, which is an almost perverse contradiction where this toxicity can carry a color we associate with health and vitality.

It sounds like something from Gabriel García Márquez, where magical prose combines with bitter almonds, poison, and a touch of unrequited love. There is something beautiful and deceptive about the physiology, which may be why this idea has resonated with me since my days as a firefighter and paramedic. Oxygen is what the body needs, yet carbon monoxide is simply better at the binding site.

My contention is that there's a simple yet powerful idea here. High affinity does not necessarily mean that something is good for a person or system. Lately, I have been wondering if this has something to teach us about artificial........

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