Is AI making us less human? Psychologist speak out

Imagine struggling to focus for more than eight seconds, shorter than a goldfish. Experts say that’s the reality for many humans today. The human ability to focus and learn and make decisions has suffered permanent damage because of continuous access to social media platforms and brief video content and the practice of doing multiple tasks at once.

NYU Stern School of Business Professor of Ethical Leadership Jonathan Haidt and Thomas Cooley warned that these trends, combined with the rise of AI, could accelerate the decline of attention and mental sharpness.

Humans vs AI: Who can think longer?

The average human attention span has decreased to 8 seconds according to studies which show that this duration is shorter than a goldfish's 9 seconds. 

The American Psychological Association's Ph.D. Gloria Mark explained that people who work in multitasking environments experience slower performance and make more errors because they switch between tasks too often.

Professionals in high-stakes jobs such as physicians, nurses, and pilots experience what she calls “switch costs” each time attention shifts.

Haidt, author of The Anxious Generation, warned that technology has fragmented social attention and civic coordination. “Less intelligent, less happy, less competent … this is happening very fast,” he said, linking social media use and short-form content to diminishing cognitive abilities.

He pointed out the fact that the attention mechanisms of AI systems are being properly trained to focus, while the brains of humans are in danger of deteriorating if attention and concentration are not exercised.

Experts recommend the following to sustain attention, particularly among children: limiting smartphone and social media use until high school, removing smartphones from classrooms, and promoting free play and responsibility.

Haidt emphasised that actions must be taken to sustain mental functions and social cohesion in a highly digitalised world.