I share your concern about the drift toward cognitive off-loading, though in my world agents mean something more grounded. At work I sit firmly in that yawn. Trying to leverage AI technology to code something useful. “Agents” as useful encapsulations of logic and reason; built around instruction, memory, and access to highly specific, purpose-built tools—preferably, always with a human in the loop. They help draft code or transcribe meetings, not to replace judgment but to extend it. To help relieve people of the tedious tasks while helping them amplify their own agency by focusing on what they do best.
Where I fully agree is in education: we have to protect the habit of effortful thought. Yet I’ve also seen how interactive AI can speed real learning when curiosity is what drives it. I know that from personal experience. For me the difference comes down to intent—learning with these systems, not through them. Your piece sharpened that line for me, and reminded me why it matters to keep it clear.
Thanks for this thoughtful and well-written comment. What do you feel you've learned from AI?
One provocation I'll put to you is that sometimes tedium is a necessary component to learning. I worked with Anders Ericsson, he of "10,000 hours" fame (via Malcolm Gladwell), and he believed that deliberate practice to develop expertise almost by definition won't be fun. Many educators don't want to hear that, and I'm not suggesting education should be boring, but there may be a fine line between tedium and necessary friction.
Thanks for this Benjamin. I don’t disagree — building any real education or skill takes time, friction, and the kind of repetition that can truly shape our understanding.
I was simply sharing an aspect of how I personally use AI for exploration and focused research. I’m aware it tends to form around my own vocabulary and habits — as the boiling water swirls around the stones, and I dine on the shoulders of giants, to borrow your metaphor and others — but at its best for me it feels like wandering an endless library with a faster-than-light librarian who somehow learns my way of connecting things. Just in this particular context, it’s less about skipping the friction and more about seeing where curiosity leads when it has room to adapt so quickly to the shape of my own mind.
The new Cognitive Resonance website looks fantastic, and I like the emphasis on using genuine cognitive-science insight to cut through the hype surrounding AI. In order to safely access research resources, I've used tools like this in my own work along with FastVPN on iOS https://apps.apple.com/us/app/fastvpn-secure-private/id1381516895 , though to be honest, the app occasionally disconnects at inconvenient times and can slow down certain websites. Workshops like yours, however, seem to be beneficial for assisting businesses in comprehending the true capabilities of AI tools rather than just their marketing claims.
Wow, the part about AI agents as a downstream effect of AGI realy stood out to me, making me wonder if it's like how a perfect book ending feels so inevitable once the story unfolds.
I share your concern about the drift toward cognitive off-loading, though in my world agents mean something more grounded. At work I sit firmly in that yawn. Trying to leverage AI technology to code something useful. “Agents” as useful encapsulations of logic and reason; built around instruction, memory, and access to highly specific, purpose-built tools—preferably, always with a human in the loop. They help draft code or transcribe meetings, not to replace judgment but to extend it. To help relieve people of the tedious tasks while helping them amplify their own agency by focusing on what they do best.
Where I fully agree is in education: we have to protect the habit of effortful thought. Yet I’ve also seen how interactive AI can speed real learning when curiosity is what drives it. I know that from personal experience. For me the difference comes down to intent—learning with these systems, not through them. Your piece sharpened that line for me, and reminded me why it matters to keep it clear.
Thanks for this thoughtful and well-written comment. What do you feel you've learned from AI?
One provocation I'll put to you is that sometimes tedium is a necessary component to learning. I worked with Anders Ericsson, he of "10,000 hours" fame (via Malcolm Gladwell), and he believed that deliberate practice to develop expertise almost by definition won't be fun. Many educators don't want to hear that, and I'm not suggesting education should be boring, but there may be a fine line between tedium and necessary friction.
Thanks for this Benjamin. I don’t disagree — building any real education or skill takes time, friction, and the kind of repetition that can truly shape our understanding.
I was simply sharing an aspect of how I personally use AI for exploration and focused research. I’m aware it tends to form around my own vocabulary and habits — as the boiling water swirls around the stones, and I dine on the shoulders of giants, to borrow your metaphor and others — but at its best for me it feels like wandering an endless library with a faster-than-light librarian who somehow learns my way of connecting things. Just in this particular context, it’s less about skipping the friction and more about seeing where curiosity leads when it has room to adapt so quickly to the shape of my own mind.
The new Cognitive Resonance website looks fantastic, and I like the emphasis on using genuine cognitive-science insight to cut through the hype surrounding AI. In order to safely access research resources, I've used tools like this in my own work along with FastVPN on iOS https://apps.apple.com/us/app/fastvpn-secure-private/id1381516895 , though to be honest, the app occasionally disconnects at inconvenient times and can slow down certain websites. Workshops like yours, however, seem to be beneficial for assisting businesses in comprehending the true capabilities of AI tools rather than just their marketing claims.
Thanks Bernard!
Wow, the part about AI agents as a downstream effect of AGI realy stood out to me, making me wonder if it's like how a perfect book ending feels so inevitable once the story unfolds.
The Education Technology Industrial Complex continues to find ways to drain their host