I'm terrified AI is making me stupid

Not in a "Terminator 2: Judgment day" way, but in a much more subtle, insidious way (which is totally how a Terminator would work btw). I catch myself jumping straight to ChatGPT or Claude instead of actually thinking through problems. The answers they give are so smooth and convincing that I find myself nodding along.

I fall in 3 traps

• I skip the thinking phase entirely. Got a design problem? Straight to AI for solutions instead of understanding the problem first.

• AI answers sound so authoritative that I forget they're just sophisticated guesses. I follow their suggestions without pushing back or exploring alternatives.

• Everything becomes too easy. Design interfaces? AI spits out patterns instantly. But easy solutions aren't always good solutions.

Here's how I'm fighting back

• Use AI as a sparring partner, not a solution machine. Instead of "design me a login screen," try "tell me 10 reasons why this login approach won't work." Make AI challenge your ideas rather than replace them.

• Force yourself to think first (ground-breaking, I know). Before touching AI, spend real time with the problem. What are you actually trying to solve? What constraints matter? Get messy with it.

• Mix your sources. AI will always give you something, even when that something is garbage. For design work, have real inspiration sources, actual interfaces, pattern libraries, things made by humans who wrestled with similar problems.

• The goal isn't to avoid AI. It's too useful for that. The goal is to stay human while using it. Keep your curiosity, your skepticism, your willingness to think hard about hard things.

Your brain is still your best tool. Don't let Terminator convince you otherwise.