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You use AI to move faster, but your judgment is getting less acute.
by Drew Robbins
2 min read
Be Present
AI acceleration feels efficient, but letting it steer dulls your judgment unless you lead with hypotheses, clarity, and ownership.
Stay In The Driver's Seat
You use AI to move faster, but your judgment is getting less acute. You review an AI draft and think, "good enough," only to notice your point of view is thinner than it used to be. You accept suggestions in a doc, then realize you never tested the core assumption. You ship a tidy summary and later wonder if you actually did the thinking or just edited what the model produced. The speed feels great, but the aftertaste does not.
In my book, the term "Be Lazy" means stripping busywork and automating the routine so you can focus on what matters. It does not mean outsourcing your brain. The professionals who thrive this year will stay in the driver's seat. They will form a hypothesis before they prompt, compare AI output to their intent, and keep ownership of framing, tradeoffs, and decisions. AI works best as a thought partner when you lead it with clarity.
Through 2026, atrophy of critical-thinking skills, due to GenAI use, will push 50% of global organizations to require 'AI-free' skills assessments.
— Gartner
What would you want to confidently demonstrate tomorrow, with no AI in the room, and what will you practice this week to keep that edge?
Try This
Use the Two Minute Rule: before you prompt, spend two minutes writing your hypothesis, outline, or success criteria.
Notice What Happens
Compare AI output to your intent, not the other way around, and watch clarity and confidence rise.
Share or Reflect
Name one task you will do AI free today—a brief, an analysis, or a plan—then use AI to critique it.
Keep Going
Schedule one AI free rep each day; keep the pen on framing and judgment, and let AI accelerate only the mechanics.
If this resonates, share it with your network so more people choose presence over autopilot.
