We spend a lot of time debating what AI will be able to do. I’m increasingly interested in a different question: What is AI changing about us?
I see it every day in my profession as a consultant. Meetings are recorded so no one has to take notes. Drafts of emails and briefing notes go through AI before they’re sent. Recommendations are polished by AI before they’re discussed. None of this is inherently bad—in fact, it’s incredibly productive. But it made me wonder what happens when we begin outsourcing not just the work, but the thinking behind it.
The productivity gains are undeniable. We save time, communicate better, and have instant access to knowledge that once took hours to find. But it turns out many of the tasks we think of as “low value” are where much of the value is actually created. Taking notes forces you to listen. Writing your own recommendation forces you to structure your thinking. Working through competing options is how you develop judgment.
Those capabilities aren’t downloaded from AI—they’re developed through doing the work.
The same pattern is emerging in our personal lives. Whether it’s a health concern, a financial decision, or planning a vacation, many of us now ask ChatGPT before we’ve spent even five minutes thinking through the problem ourselves.
If AI becomes embedded in our lives, then education and early-career development will need to evolve with it. Organizations can no longer assume that critical thinking and judgment will develop naturally if AI increasingly performs tasks required to develop them. We will need to design new ways to build those capabilities deliberately.
Because today’s junior professionals are tomorrow’s executives. They will one day be responsible for decisions where the stakes are high and the answers aren’t obvious. AI can accelerate analysis, but judgment still has to come from somewhere. If we’re not intentional about developing it, we shouldn’t assume it will simply emerge on its own.
AI is an incredible thought partner. It can challenge assumptions, uncover blind spots, and accelerate learning. The real challenge of the AI era may be ensuring we’re still developing the human qualities that great leadership depends on.