Artificial intelligence is here to stay.

AI demonstrably outperforms humans in countless areas.

AI can provide answers, insights, and information almost instantly.

The human brain requires years of ongoing personal effort to develop critical skills and knowledge.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is here to stay. AI is an immensely powerful force. AI demonstrably outperforms humans in countless areas. Regarding insights and answers, this performance capacity is available 24 hours a day. However, and self-evidently, this is not the case with the development of skills and knowledge for humanity (Casey et al., 2005).

In the Beginning and Thereafter

In terms of the ongoing building of insight, skills, and knowledge, research indicates that brain development is a lengthy process that continues into the early 30s. During these years, ongoing self-initiated thinking and self-directed effort are associated with the process of self-advancing learning actions (Giedd, 2004; Kolk & Rakic, 2022; Mousley et al., 2025; Sowell et al., 2003).

This is because achieving expertise requires a sustained daily effort of at least 10,000 hours (often cited as a colloquial benchmark) or a decade of focused study and training. It is also important to note that expertise is always domain‑specific; the effort invested develops mastery in a particular discipline rather than a generalized capacity. This entire process will bring most people into their early 30s before they reach what could be considered a reasonable level of expertise in their chosen discipline (Ericsson et al., 1993; Ericsson, 2006).

Consider the following two examples. A teacher writes a word on the board and asks what it means. Once the definition is given, the teacher tells the class that students will need to write a sentence using the word, then a paragraph. Group (1) will use computers and AI. Group (2) will be required to use a dictionary and present the sentence and paragraph with their own handwriting.

Results and Responsibilities

We already know what the outcome will be. Group (1) will complete the task in minutes, if not seconds. Group (2) may require 20 to 30 minutes to complete the task. The question that must now be asked and answered is as follows: Which group created complex neurological connections, neuronal assemblies, and additional intricate brain maps that further advanced their cognitive capacities in critical thinking, higher-order thinking, reasoning, and complex intellectual analysis, and which group did not? Does this analysis or answer really matter? Whatever the answer is, and whatever choices are made, there will be consequences for which the decision-maker will be responsible (Doidge, 2010, 2015; Fields, 2008; Kleim & Jones, 2008; Zatorre et al., 2012)

Application Is a Universal Requirement

Advancing in skills and knowledge in all human endeavors requires decades of meticulous, well-organized, and self-controlled work. What all of this universally demonstrates is that for humans to develop genuine skills and knowledge in any discipline, there are initially two requirements: (1) listen to the expert (teacher, coach, instructor, mentor), and (2) do the work for as long as it takes to achieve a level of mastery (Ericsson, 2006).

Once this level of mastery has been achieved, the next step is to........

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