There is known concern around AI’s negative impact on learning. Makes sense. You outsource cognitive effort and reduce retention. We know that struggle, retrieval, and effort matters for learning.
But I also think that frame is incomplete. I consider myself a life-long learner. I’m intrinsically motivated and disciplined, and for me, AI is an accelerator for learning.
The key change is not access to information. We already had books, StackOverflow, MOOCs, forums. The change is latency collapse and context continuity. You can build, discuss, quiz yourself, explore alternatives, and refine ideas without ever leaving your terminal. Feedback loops are compressed. Friction from tool-switching, searching, and waiting are almost completely gone.
Learning compounds through repetition and consistency. Many small exposures accumulate into durable understanding over time. AI lowers the barrier to starting and continuing. Progress feels faster. Exploration feels possible. Motivation increases. That makes it easier to build a consistent learning habit.
I don’t deny that AI will remove some productive cognitive effort. Five hard reps are not the same as thirty easier ones. But if AI makes it dramatically more likely that you will show up consistently for months or years, I believe the compounding effect of sustained engagement can outweigh the reduced difficulty of each individual task.
This requires discipline though. If you use AI to replace thinking, you will likely weaken skill formation. If you use it to accelerate iteration while preserving cognitive effort, e.g., reviewing the output, asking why, quizzing yourself, using it as a sparring partner, then the loop reinforces understanding rather than dependency.
I don’t know what this means for society as a whole. Short term it will likely widen the knowledge gap between disciplined learners and passive users. Long-term faster iteration might compress reflection and consolidation too much also for disciplined learners.
For now, I’m having a lot of fun, and it feels like I’m relearning how to learn.