When Ro announced its Super Bowl spot featuring Serena Williams talking about her use of GLP-1 medications, one line jumped out at me: “There is no one with more willpower and self-discipline than Serena Williams, which is why she’s the perfect person to help people see that GLP-1s are not a shortcut.”

It got me thinking about the arguments I’ve been having with friends—and with myself—about whether AI is a shortcut and will make us lazy. Will most of us use AI to take the easy way out? And is the easy way always inferior?

The Serena framing is clever. If Serena Williams—who, according to the advertising firm creating the spot, embodies grit, discipline, and relentless training—uses a GLP-1, then maybe these medications aren’t cheating. Maybe removing the friction and struggle of weight loss is better than clinging to “no pain, no gain,” especially if the result is better health.

What struck me while watching the Super Bowl (in addition to my Patriots losing) was how many ads leaned into themes of effort, perseverance, and creativity. The Olympic spots, the NFL ad with a child giving himself a pep talk, and OpenAI’s Codex ad. included messages about working hard, learning, not giving up. It felt like reassurance: Even in an era of AI doing more human work, grit still matters.

And yet the anxiety remains.

Parents, teachers, and employers worry that AI........

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