How is AI impacting how people think and act?

Article written by: Loreen Lu

Article designed by: Loreen Lu & Palak Tiwari

What is AI? AI is so common in our lives nowadays, but what is AI technically? AI stands for Artificial Intelligence, it refers to a type of computer system that can simulate human thinking. In simple terms, it means machines can “learn” from data and make decisions or perform tasks like a human would, only it's faster, and sometimes even better. You’ve probably used AI at some point.  Have you ever asked Siri what the weather is? Scrolled through Instagram Reels? Gotten suggestions on Netflix about what to watch? That’s all AI is hard at work, it’s all around us in almost everything we use.  So what’s the big question? Is AI good or bad? We will discuss both the benefits and the negative impacts of this important and controversial topic that’s got all of social media buzzing.

AI has changed the world in incredible ways, especially in its efficiency.  AI can analyze a lot of data quickly that would take humans months, maybe even years to accomplish. It automates all the boring tasks that usually humans aren’t willing to spend time on, fast. Such as sorting emails, making automated schedules, and in general freeing up time for more complex and creative work that humans do. For example in schools there are AI tools such as Quizlet that help students study so that it’s more accessible for everyone, no matter what language they speak or where they’re located. This helps all types of people in terms of finding resources or getting data that might be difficult to. There’s also many more specific uses of AI that benefit us, such as healthcare. AI can help doctors find diseases by looking at scans and catching things that doctors may miss, predict outcomes of certain procedures, and personalized treatment plans (which can otherwise be really expensive).  In fact, surprisingly, AI systems have been known to detect some cancers faster than human doctors have. The positive impact of AI has greatly influenced our everyday lives, now let’s explore the negative side of AI and how it has changed us. 

While we see the benefits of artificial intelligence through our previous section, it also carries significant risks that affect individuals, society and even the way we think.  One major concern is how AI undermines the human critical thinking process.  With AI having algorithms that think for us people rely too much on this technology which restricts original ideas and problem-solving skills.  

Another series of issues AI has created is the spread of misinformation, AI has made it easier for fake info to be spread over social media with fake videos called Deepfakes that can mislead the public. There’s also your for you page which can be biased based on AI algorithms which can impact views of social media users. 

AI is also a threat to privacy as more data is collected and analyzed by AI users without them fully understanding the risks. AI also threatens job security, because automated technology replaces human labor in many major industries. 

After seeing these reasons we see that despite AI being a great tool if used the wrong way it could be turned into something disastrous. 

In conclusion, AI is like a blessing and a curse disguised as technology, it can be both beneficial and destructive depending on the way it is used. The challenge is not just in the advancing technology but also shaping society to learn how to use it responsibly.  This means setting guidelines that are ethical, designing safeguards to protect human rights when using AI, and ensuring human oversight in major AI companies. AI should not replace us, it should help us, whether that be increasing efficiency or aiding us in studying for our next chem test, it's important that we use AI the right way.  At the end of the day, AI is just a tool and just like every other tool out there its impact depends on the hands that use it. If society teaches to use AI the correct way, a way that helps us rather than harm us, AI can enhance our lives rather than diminish them.  Remember, AI is a tool, so it is you that decides whether AI is beneficial or harmful. 

Works Cited

Fielding University. How Artificial Intelligence Shapes How We Think, Act, and Connect. Fielding.edu,https://www.fielding.edu/how-artificial-intelligence-shapes-how-we-think-act-and-connect/.

Goergen, Jonas, Emanuel de Bellis, and Anne-Kathrin Klesse. “AI Assessment Changes Human Behavior.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 122, no. 25, 24 June 2025, e2425439122, doi:10.1073/pnas.2425439122.

“AI Assessment Changes Human Behavior.” PubMed, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 24 June 2025, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40540602/.