Is Artificial Intelligence Friend or Foe? It Depends
Is Artificial Intelligence Friend or Foe? It Depends
Publish Date: 2026-07-12 11:48:00
Source Domain: www.psychologytoday.com
There seems to be growing concern as to how artificial intelligence (AI) will change our lives and possibly even who we are psychologically as well as biologically. Some suggest it will rob us of our humanity by fostering passive consumption of and over-dependence upon AI-generated information. Others suggest, similar to the Industrial Revolution, AI will relieve us of many of the burdens that plague us. They assert AI has the potential to bring out the best in us—to make us more human. So, is AI a friend or a foe? The answer appears to be, “It depends.”
The Current State of AI
Currently, AI does not originate thought or knowledge independently of retrieved data. Rather, it produces outputs through varying degrees of data recall and novel recombination of learned patterns or other forms of information. Even so-called novel outputs from AI are necessarily built upon previously acquired information, even when the specific output itself has never existed before. Think of that as what I have previously referred to as recombinant AI (Psychology Today, April 9, 2026). The inherent weakness in such an approach is that AI does not possess the ability to independently assess the validity of the data it retrieves nor its recombinant output. As such, it may provide misleading or erroneous information. So, if you are looking to AI for all the answers, be forewarned.
The Risk of Passive Consumption
From a public health perspective, more problematic than potentially erroneous output, AI may encourage passive consumption of information. The risks of AI-associated passive consumption have yet to be determined. That said, there is concern that consistent use and reliance upon AI may lead to inhibition of critical thinking, creation of a functional dependence, potential contributions to depression and isolation, and even the potential for undesirable changes in brain morphology. Such outcomes have been associated with excessive social media use…
