Sam Altman, OpenAI's CEO, has identified one of artificial intelligence's most underappreciated risks: cognitive atrophy, the weakening of our mental abilities when we rely too heavily on AI to do our thinking for us. Speaking on the "Invest Like the Best" podcast, Altman raised concerns about how people might let powerful AI tools handle so much cognitive work that their own mental muscles begin to deteriorate.

Sam Altman, OpenAI's CEO

What Exactly Is Cognitive Atrophy and Why Should You Care?

Cognitive atrophy refers to the gradual decline in mental abilities when people stop using them regularly. Think of it like a muscle that weakens without exercise. As AI systems become more capable at writing, analyzing, researching, and problem-solving, there's a real risk that people will increasingly outsource these tasks entirely, potentially eroding the very skills that make them valuable in their work and personal lives.

"One that I don't think gets much attention is how are we going to avoid cognitive atrophy? How are we going to use these tools and make sure that we are stretching our brains more and more and continuing to understand the stuff that really matters?" said Sam Altman.

Sam Altman, CEO at OpenAI

This concern isn't new to Altman alone. A growing body of research supports his worry. An MIT researcher named Nataliya Kosmyna conducted a preliminary study examining how generative AI affects learning and skill development. Her findings were striking: people who used generative AI to write essays performed worse over time compared to those using Google search or no digital aid at all.

How Can We Use AI Without Losing Our Mental Edge?

The challenge lies in finding the right balance between leveraging AI's capabilities and maintaining our own cognitive abilities. Experts and industry leaders are beginning to frame this as a critical question for the AI era. Here are key strategies researchers and technologists suggest:

• Intentional Engagement: Use AI as a tool to enhance your thinking rather than replace it. Ask the AI to explain its reasoning, then verify and critique its work yourself before accepting it.
• Preserve Core Skills: Continue practicing fundamental tasks in your field, even if AI could do them faster. This maintains your cognitive reserve and keeps your expertise sharp.
• Understand the Underlying Concepts: When AI generates analysis or code, take time to understand how and why it works, rather than simply accepting the output at face value.

Vivienne Ming, a theoretical neuroscientist and AI researcher, has described this risk using the term "chronic substitution." She explained to Business Insider that when people repeatedly let AI do cognitive work instead of doing it themselves, it can weaken cognitive reserve, a key defense against dementia and cognitive decline. This is especially concerning as AI tools expand beyond simple text generation into complex work like document review, research, analysis, customer support, and coding.

Arthur Mensch, CEO of Paris-based Mistral AI, has raised similar concerns. He told The Times that AI's biggest risk may be "deskilling" workers, making people progressively lazier as they increasingly rely on the technology to search for information and solve problems.

Despite these warnings, Altman struck a more optimistic tone during the podcast interview. He described a "pretty magical" future where a personal AI could be always on, reading documents, listening to meetings, recalling emails from weeks earlier, and using spare computing power overnight to generate ideas and suggest next steps. However, he acknowledged that even powerful AI models may struggle to replicate the qualities that make humans distinctive.

"The world may need like a new kind of word for the kind of judgment that people are very good at, that AI seems to really deeply struggle with," Altman said.

Sam Altman, CEO at OpenAI

The tension between AI's promise and its risks reflects a broader challenge facing society. As these tools become more integrated into work and daily life, the question of how to maintain human cognitive abilities while benefiting from AI's power remains one of the most important unresolved questions in the field. Altman's public acknowledgment of cognitive atrophy as a serious concern signals that even AI leaders recognize the need for thoughtful implementation strategies that protect human capabilities alongside technological advancement.