"Use AI as orthotic, not prosthetic, for cognition With AI tools now capable of doing most knowledge work, the speaker warns that how you use them determines whether your brain grows or atrophies. Using AI as a 'cognitive orthotic' means doing the hard thinking yourself first, then asking the AI what you missed — a method shown in student writing studies to preserve and build cognitive capacity. Using it as a 'cognitive prosthetic,' by contrast, means "using it instead of your brain, as if you didn't have a brain," which the speaker observes is causing colleagues to "deskill in real time." Deciding to always attempt the task independently before consulting AI is a concrete habit that guards against the gradual loss of your own thinking skills. Source: Guest Speaker, Podcast Episode, Future-Proof Your Brain"