AI Researcher Builds Tools That Make You Think Smarter

We've been racing to use AI chatbots to work faster, but what if they're quietly making us less capable thinkers?

Advait Sarkar, an AI and design researcher, brought a refreshing warning to the TED stage. When we hand over our reasoning to artificial intelligence, we risk becoming what he calls "middle managers for our own thoughts."

The concern isn't about AI itself. It's about how we're using it.

Sarkar points out a cognitive trade-off most people haven't considered. Sure, chatbots help us complete tasks quickly, but speed comes at a cost when we stop wrestling with problems ourselves.

Instead of abandoning AI or blindly embracing it, Sarkar is building something different. He's developing tools that actually encourage critical thinking rather than replace it.

These new tools work differently than standard chatbots. They nudge users toward reflection and deeper analysis instead of just spitting out answers.

Why This Inspires

Sarkar's approach shows we don't have to choose between technology and human intelligence. We can design tools that make both stronger.

His work challenges the assumption that faster always equals better. Sometimes the struggle to think through a problem is exactly what makes us sharper, more creative, and more capable.

The real breakthrough here isn't technical. It's philosophical. Sarkar is asking us to think carefully about what we want from our relationship with AI before that relationship is already set in stone.

This matters for everyone entering a workplace increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence. Students, professionals, and creators all face the same question: Will AI be a crutch or a catalyst?

The future Sarkar envisions doesn't pit humans against machines. It builds technology that respects and enhances our ability to reason, question, and grow.

His message is both a caution and an invitation. Use AI thoughtfully, he suggests, and we can stay in the driver's seat of our own minds.

The tools we choose today will shape the thinkers we become tomorrow.