A recent article from The Guardian discusses the potential negative impact of artificial intelligence on human intelligence, warning that reliance on AI tools could be contributing to a decline in cognitive abilities. Research indicates that while generative AI has the potential to improve efficiency, it may also inhibit critical thinking and problem-solving skills, with studies showing a correlation between frequent AI use and lower critical-thinking abilities among users, particularly younger individuals. The article highlights findings from a study conducted by Michael Gerlich at SBS Swiss Business School, which found that younger participants who frequently depend on AI tools performed worse in critical thinking tasks compared to older adults. Additionally, a report from Microsoft and Carnegie Mellon University noted that while AI improved efficiency for professionals, it has fostered long-term overreliance, potentially diminishing the ability to solve problems independently.
Community colleges are facing a growing crisis as fraudulent students, often referred to as “bots,” increasingly enroll in online classes to exploit financial aid. In 2024, California community colleges reported over $11 million in financial aid fraud, more than double the previous year’s losses, with estimates suggesting that 25 percent of applicants may be bots. As these bots, managed by organized fraud rings, continue to infiltrate the education system, professors are left to navigate a complicated landscape of verifying student identities. Elizabeth Smith, a professor at Southwestern College, described the situation as “heartbreaking,” noting that she ended up with only 15 genuine students out of 104 enrolled in her classes. Administrators are implementing measures to combat this issue, such as the Inauthentic Enrollment Mitigation Taskforce at Southwestern, but the rapid evolution of bot technology continues to present challenges. The college is seeking improved protocols from the state to help mitigate the crisis.
A recent survey by Snowflake and the Enterprise Strategy Group reveals that over half of IT leaders struggle to prioritize artificial intelligence use cases, despite having more ideas than they can fund. The report, which surveyed 1,900 business and IT leaders across nine countries, found that approximately 70% of early adopters face challenges in evaluating potential projects based on objective factors such as costs and business impact. The stakes are high; 71% of respondents believe that choosing the wrong use case could harm their company’s market position, and nearly 60% feel that advocating for an undesirable project could jeopardize their job security. With the urgency created by recent advancements in AI, organizations are grappling with project delays due to budget constraints and skill shortages, leading to an increase in AI project failure rates. Companies like Aflac and General Mills are prioritizing AI opportunities based on business impact and guaranteed value as they navigate this complex landscape.
Why do we care?
The common thread is this: AI is becoming a systemic force, and the systems built to manage people, education, and business outcomes are not yet resilient or adaptive enough to handle it. Providers must evolve from implementers to interpreters — helping clients decode when, how, and why AI adds value, and where it threatens to erode it.