But according to neuroscientist David Rock, the bigger
question is not what AI is doing for us. It is what it might
be doing to us.
“In some ways, technology
isn’t changing us at all,” Mr. Rock told us.
Human
brains still make decisions, solve problems and respond to
challenges much as they have for thousands of years. Yet
history shows that major events and long-term pressures can
leave lasting marks on the brain, shaping behaviour for
years or even generations.
The great paradox of
AI
Today’s technological revolution may be one of
those moments.
The difference, Mr. Rock argues, is
that technology increasingly gives us a sense of control
over almost everything. Need a ride? Press a button. Want
dinner delivered? Press another. Looking for information? It
is available instantly.
That growing sense of autonomy
can be liberating. But it also creates a subtle trap,
especially as AI systems become capable of performing tasks
that once required significant mental effort.
‘Keep
your brain in the game’
The real concern is not
that AI is becoming more powerful. It is that people are
becoming too willing to hand over their thinking.
Mr.
Rock recently described the current moment as a transition
from “AI FOMO” to an “AI hangover”. Organizations
rushed to adopt generative AI tools, often before fully
understanding their long-term effects. Now the consequences
are becoming clearer.
What he sees worries
him.
A small minority of workers, perhaps five to 10
per cent, are using AI as intended: offloading routine tasks
and freeing up mental capacity for more demanding work.
Most, however, are doing the opposite.
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“The brain
loves conserving energy,” he said. “It’s very
tantalizing to save your brain from thinking at
all.”
The result, he warns, is a gradual erosion of
judgment. When people outsource not only routine work but
also analysis, evaluation and decision-making, they risk
losing the ability to distinguish good ideas from bad
ones.
AI may provide answers quickly, but speed is not
the same as wisdom.
“Keep your brain in the game,”
he said. “When your brain’s not in the game, you very
quickly lose those skills.”
A crisis of
attention
The rise of AI comes at a time when many
people are already struggling to focus.
According to
Mr. Rock, the greatest challenge facing workers today is not
a lack of information but an overwhelming excess of
it.
He compares the current moment to the arrival of
email, which dramatically increased the amount of
information people had to process. Today, however, the scale
is far greater. Workers are bombarded by messages, updates,
notifications and AI-generated summaries, often far beyond
what the human brain can realistically manage.
“Our
brains actually have real limits,” he
said.
Computers can process thousands of decisions in
moments. Humans cannot. Yet many organizations continue to
operate as though people have unlimited capacity for
attention and decision-making.
Mr. Rock believes
society is still in a “settling-in period” with AI, much
like the early days of automobiles before traffic laws and
speed limits existed. The technology has arrived faster than
the social norms and guardrails needed to use it
responsibly.
The technology that wants to be your
friend
Unlike previous technological breakthroughs,
AI may be transforming something even more fundamental than
work.
“It hacks attachment,” Mr. Rock
said.
While televisions, books and smartphones
competed for our attention, AI increasingly competes for our
relationships. More and more people are turning to chatbots
not merely for information but for conversation,
companionship and advice.
That trend concerns
him.
Research, he noted, suggests that people who
spend significant time interacting with AI companions may
feel more lonely rather than less. Other studies point to
links between heavy reliance on chatbots and increased
disconnection from real-world social interactions.
The
human brain evolved around relationships with other people.
Replacing too much of that interaction with machines may
come at a psychological cost that society is only beginning
to understand.
As AI becomes more sophisticated, and
as robotics, faster computing and next-generation internet
technologies converge, those questions are likely to become
even more pressing.
Why human connection may become
more valuable
Paradoxically, the more capable
machines become, the more valuable human relationships could
become.
Mr. Rock believes the future will place a
premium on trust, authenticity and genuine human connection.
In a world where machines can generate content, analyse data
and imitate conversation, what remains uniquely human may
become more precious.
“The human experience is going
to be that much more high value,” he said.
Rather
than replacing people, AI may ultimately increase the
importance of human networks, deeper relationships and
meaningful collaboration.
That future is not
guaranteed. But it is one possible response to a world of
accelerating technological change.
And acceleration is
exactly what Mr. Rock expects.
“Change has never
been this fast,” he said, “but it will never be this
slow again.”
The skill that may matter
most
So how can people adapt?
Mr. Rock’s answer
comes down to a single concept: metacognition, or thinking
about thinking.
Instead of allowing AI to take over,
he argues that people should remain firmly in control, using
these systems to challenge and expand their perspectives
rather than replace them.
AI can help people consider
viewpoints they might otherwise overlook, test assumptions
and explore alternative interpretations. But the
responsibility for judgment must remain human.
He
calls this approach “human in the lead”.
The
technology, he says, works best when it deepens thinking
rather than substitutes for it.
As AI becomes woven
into everyday life, that distinction could prove critical.
The machines may become smarter and faster, but the
challenge for humanity will be ensuring that our own minds
remain engaged.
Because the future may depend not on
how intelligent AI becomes, but on whether we continue
exercising the intelligence we already have.
Dr.
David Rock, who coined the term “neuroleadership”, is
the co-founder and CEO of the NeuroLeadership Institute, a
global consultancy that applies neuroscience to leadership
and organizational performance. Author of several books,
including the bestseller Your Brain at Work and his latest,
Your Story Has a Villain, he is one of the keynote
speakers at UN Skills Fest 2026, themed People at the
Centre.
