AI Makes You Dumb: 5 Ways You Think You’re Smart, But You’re Not

AI makes you clumsy… How is that possible? Is it because it makes us lazy? Is it because it makes us lazy? The answer is yes and no… It’s a deeper phenomenon and it has to do with how you’re using it.

A recent study by Professor Umberto León Domínguez of the University of Monterrey warns that the overuse of artificial intelligence (AI) can lead to cognitive offloading, a phenomenon where the brain reduces its intellectual effort because it knows a machine will do the work for it. The result? People who are increasingly less analytical and more dependent on automatic responses. In other words, AI makes you clumsy… not by itself, but because of the way you use it.

If the clumsiness of many users were the only consequence, it wouldn’t be a problem. What is, however, is that thanks to the power of AI and the commonplace nature of this crude use, we’re starting to see a number of fake professionals.

Thus, we see strategists who don’t create strategy, writers who don’t write, and consultants who don’t dig deep, blindly relying on quick, generic answers and content that sounds brilliant but lacks substance… but the worst part is that’s what they offer their clients!

The irony is that, in their attempt to demonstrate their intelligence using AI, they end up being clumsy by relying entirely on it without judgment or direction. How many times have you seen a strategy that offers nothing new? Or a “creative copy” that sounds just like others generated with a poorly designed prompt? Because they don’t even know how to do that!

Below, we explore five uses of AI that many believe are revolutionizing their work, but are actually exposing their lack of expertise. Ready to find out if you, too, are falling into any of these traps?

1. The mirage of “I’m a writer” (but the truth is my pen is ChatGPT)

A couple of years ago, writing a decent article required a certain amount of skill: thinking, structuring ideas, developing arguments… you know, writing. But now, anyone with an internet connection and a basic prompt can call themselves a writer. The recipe is simple:

1. They give the AI ​​an idea and wait for its response.
2. They copy and paste the result … and publish it!
3. They applaud themselves for their “creativity”, feeling very clever.

The problem is that, without editing, without vision, and without soul, what they publish isn’t content, it’s pure cardboard. A rehash of what AI has found on the internet, without a shred of its own identity. And the most cynical thing is that they don’t even mention that it was created with AI, as if in 2025 anyone would still believe that structured text came from the mind of someone who, with effort, had written something decent in their life and now churns out content like cupcakes.

How not to look ridiculous:

• If you can’t write, at least edit. Don’t post the first thing ChatGPT spits out at you.
• Provide context and direction, before and after content creation. AI can’t work magic with mediocre prompts. You need to learn prompting techniques.
• Don’t pretend it was your brilliant idea. Using AI isn’t the problem; the problem is when you appropriate the work it did for you and don’t even mention it.

2. Express Consultants: “Expert” after three ChatGPT prompts

Previously, to call yourself a consultant, you needed years of experience, success stories, and honed critical thinking. But today, with three ChatGPT prompts and a bit of nerve, anyone can claim to be an expert on any topic.

The script is always the same:

1. They ask the AI ​​about a topic, one that the experience and knowledge of a real consultant should solve.
2. They copy the answer as is or make minor adjustments.
3. They offer it as an original response to their clients.

And of course, the result is a parade of consulting documents that sound pompous but lack substance.

The worst part is that some even give lectures and post on LinkedIn information they haven’t even processed themselves. The problem arises when someone with real knowledge asks them an off-script question… and it’s obvious they’re improvising!

How to avoid being exposed:

• If you’re going to use AI, at least combine it with your real-life experience. It’s not enough to simply repeat what a chatbot tells you.
• Test before you teach. You can’t be a consultant on something you haven’t tried before.
• Don’t sell air. If all you did was copy-paste ChatGPT, you’d better think twice before offering it, because you could be selling nothing but smoke and mirrors.

3. Strategists without a strategy: copy-paste as a master plan

Previously, strategy required analysis, vision, and critical thinking. Today, some “strategists” have discovered a new methodology: asking ChatGPT what to do and copying the answer as if it were a unique revelation, without even creating a buyer persona or custom GPT to serve the customer with their own information.

The process they follow is as simple as it is regrettable:

1. “ChatGPT, give me a communications or marketing strategy for X.”
2. They copy the result without modifying a comma.
3. They present it as a personalized and brilliant action plan.

The problem is that while AI can generate useful ideas, generic responses are no substitute for solid experience, creativity, and human judgment. But that doesn’t stop marketers from copy-pasting strategies, with plans that could equally apply to a tech startup or a taco shop.

And of course, when things don’t work out, they won’t admit responsibility for the fact that they were actually just using a chatbot in a rush; they’ll blame the market, a lack of budget, other people’s work, etc. AI makes you clumsy… when you do this.

How not to make a fool of yourself:

• AI is a starting point, not the final plan. A strategy should NOT be built solely on ChatGPT. A strategy is customized and fine-tuned with critical thinking.
• If a strategy doesn’t have data or real context, it’s not a strategy. It’s just a list of generic suggestions.
• If you’re just copying and pasting what ChatGPT says, you better stop calling yourself a strategist. Or start being one for real!

4. Creatives without creativity: “ChatGPT, give me a brilliant idea.”

Creativity used to be the result of experience, references, and unexpected connections between ideas. But now, some “creatives” have found a new mantra: asking AI to do their work and selling it as a flash of genius.

The process is embarrassingly simple:

1. Ask ChatGPT for an idea for your campaign, script, or slogan.
2. They copy the first ideas that come to them without adjusting or enriching them.
3. They present the work as a unique revelation.

The problem is that, without a human filter, what they produce isn’t creativity, but rather a concoction of recycled ideas. ChatGPT doesn’t create; it takes and remixes the web; so it won’t give you anything new.

The best campaigns, innovative concepts, and powerful insights are not born from a generic prompt, but from the ability to connect the dots in a unique way. AI makes you clumsy as soon as you let it think for you.

How not to be a creative fraud:

• Use AI as a spark, not a complete fire. The best ideas are born when you contribute your vision, not when you copy.
• Refine, mix, and challenge. What ChatGPT gives you is a rough draft, not a masterpiece.
• If your idea sounds like something anyone could come up with in 10 seconds, it’s not creativity, it’s laziness.

5. Express Designers: When design is reduced to a prompt in ChatGPT

There was a time when visual creation required skill, professional tools, and a trained eye. But now, some people believe that just typing “make me a spectacular image in DALL·E 3” makes them graphic designer. Spoiler: They’re NOT.

The process is as follows:

1. They ask ChatGPT to generate an image with DALL·E 3.
2. They publish it as is, without retouching, without adjustments, without reviewing anything.
3. They applaud their own “creativity,” even though the image has obvious flaws.

And of course, since AI still doesn’t blend text and images well, we end up seeing designs with typos, deformed hands, and absurd details that any professional designer would fix in seconds. But no, these people go straight to publishing their design, convinced they’ve created a masterpiece.

The saddest part is that they don’t even know how to enhance their images with ChatGPT, nor are they able to try more advanced tools like Midjourney or free models like Llama or Grok. They settle for whatever ChatGPT gives them and present it as if it’s top-notch work.

How not to look ridiculous:

• If you’re going to generate images, use professional tools. DALL·E 3 is useful, but it’s not the best choice for everything.
• Don’t post without checking. If the AI ​​put letters in the image, check them because they’re almost certainly wrong.
• If you think writing a prompt makes you a designer, maybe you should talk to a real designer.

AI doesn’t make you smarter, it just makes your clumsiness evident if you don’t use it properly.

Artificial intelligence is a powerful tool, but its true value lies not in what it creates, but in how you use it. At best, it enhances your work; at worst, AI makes you clumsy because it only reveals that you never had the skills you boast about.

If you saw yourself reflected in any of these five cases, don’t worry, there’s still hope. But if you continue to believe that copying and pasting what AI gives you makes you an expert, strategist, creative, or designer, sooner or later someone will notice.

One last tip before you publish your next “big idea”:

• AI doesn’t replace your judgment. If you don’t edit, adapt, or think, it’s not your job, it’s a chatbot’s.
• Don’t use AI to fake skills you don’t have. Sooner or later, someone will figure it out.
• Experiment beyond the basics. If you’ve stuck with ChatGPT and DALL·E, there’s a world of advanced tools waiting to be discovered.

This article, AI Makes You Clumsy, was reviewed with AI.