Cognitive offloading can weaken memory; assisted thinking enhances it.

AI may boost working memory and free mental energy for problem-solving.

Overreliance on AI can reduce focus, curiosity, and flexible thinking.

Use AI to support, not replace, your own thinking.

You’ve probably noticed it yourself—more and more coworkers, friends, and even you are leaning on AI at work, sometimes without even thinking about it. Statistics show that between 2024 and 2025, the number of Americans using AI on the job nearly doubled, moving from occasional users to daily adopters.

As these tools become part of our daily routines, it’s natural to wonder: Is AI quietly making us forgetful, or is it giving our brains a boost? The truth is probably somewhere in the middle. Rely too much on AI, and your memory might take a hit. But use it wisely, and it can actually sharpen focus, help you learn faster, and free up mental energy for the things that really matter.

To learn more about the psychology of AI-assisted thinking, I recently spoke with Samyukktha Thirumeni, a leading expert in AI and founder and CEO of Supanote, about how AI can be used as a helpful assistant without completely outsourcing our memory to machines.

Cognitive Offloading vs. Assisted Thinking

To understand how AI affects our thinking, it helps to distinguish between cognitive offloading and assisted thinking. So what’s the difference? Well, for starters, cognitive offloading refers to relying on external tools—like notebooks, reminders, or digital assistants—to handle mental tasks that would otherwise demand internal effort. This can free up mental resources, but it also means we may engage less with the thinking itself. Over time, this can weaken memory for the offloaded information or reduce deep understanding if done without intention. Research on AI and cognition highlights a related effect. For........

© Psychology Today