Factually! with Adam Conover AI Is Making You Dumber
Jun 30, 2025
The discussion opens with alarming statistics showing how technology is diminishing our cognitive skills. It highlights a shift from engaging with content to passive consumption, warning that this approach stifles growth. The podcast delves into the crisis in critical thinking among students due to AI tools, emphasizing the danger of choosing convenience over understanding. Lastly, it advocates for active mental engagement and creative thinking, likening it to physical exercise crucial for intellectual health.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Empirical Decline in Intelligence
- Empirical data shows a decline in basic reading, thinking, and math skills in rich countries, especially the US.
- This marks a reversal after millennia of advancing human intelligence.
Declining Skills Threaten Society
- Literacy and numeracy among adults have declined or stagnated in the past decade, with nearly 30% and 35% Americans struggling respectively.
- This decline correlates with increased suspicion, alienation, and risks to democratic engagement.
Smartphones Impact Cognition
- The timeline of cognitive decline coincides with widespread internet and smartphone adoption.
- Studies confirm these devices reduce cognitive capacity even when not in direct use.