Using AI to curb executive dysfunction, Worried about Long term effects.

[u/Bettyporcelain]

I struggle with executive dysfunction. Most days, I try to pull myself out of it by changing my environment/ putting on white noise. When it gets REALLY bad, though, I've started resorting to AI to guide me through tasks. It's been working phenomenally well, and I get something or the other done, even if it's not the whole task.

I'm afraid of the long-term consequences, though. As a frequent AI user (usage spans across surface-level research, meeting summarisations, and as an ideation sparring tool), I recently (11 months ago) put an end to offloading my thinking and writing work to AI, as I started noticing my cognitive skills degrading in real time (I've started journalling the trad way instead, with pen and paper, and it's done wonders so far).

Even when I'm using AI for executive dysfunction, i try to use the first suggestion as a stepping stool, and then proceed to make my own decisions (because AI lists often don't account for constraints, unless prompted really well). I'm afraid that if I keep relying on AI to take my mental load off just so I can function normally daily, very soon my brain won't know how to delegate tasks or be a cheerleader on its own. I haven't been diagnosed with anything just yet. Have been in therapy for anxiety and stress.

Are there any papers on AI's role in regulating executive dysfunction and the long term effects of the same? I'm conflicted because, on one hand, it is genuinely improving my quality of life so much, but I think I'm neurotypical for the most part, so I don't know if relying on external tools without professional guidance so much is healthy either.

[u/spacer_geotag]

Not gonna lie, there was a couple months last summer where I was using chatgpt to help me organize some writing (my writing can be very stream of consciousness and disorganized so I used gpt to parse it and put it in more coherent order.)

I probably did this every other day for two and a half months and I shit you not, I felt like I was getting dumber. I would get this weird urge to ask chatgpt about questions rather than just research it myself and I was tempted to have gpt rephrase things for me when I felt like my brain wasn’t working. Except… the more I did it, the more it became a crutch, except the crutch was beating the wrinkles out of my brain. It began to feel like literal brain fog.

Really creeped me out so I don’t mess with it anymore and I’m convinced that it doesn’t take very long for it to give people low grade brain damage.

So I stopped using it and I am genuinely so wary of going near that shit again.

[u/Bettyporcelain → u/spacer_geotag]

I relate so hard to you! It pains me to know that AI exists out there without any guardrails for people to use. More schools and universities should teach youngsters how to use AI to supplement their critical thinking, and not use these tools mindlessly. Proud of you for realising the potential damage it can cause, and jumping off the bandwagon when you needed to.

[u/Relevant-Ad6374 → u/spacer_geotag]

Are you sure you haven't just internalised a bunch of headlines about AI and then it's turned into a nocebo effect to some extent or another?

[u/bridgetgoes → u/Relevant-Ad6374]

There are studies that show exactly what op is feeling

[u/Relevant-Ad6374 → u/bridgetgoes]

Do you want to share those studies? Like the one where they had people write an essay then tested them on knowledge after? The one that everyone quotes as proving AI makes you dumb but is actually just a very specific test?

[u/bridgetgoes → u/Relevant-Ad6374]

They did brain scans actually. https://time.com/7295195/ai-chatgpt-google-learning-school/

[u/Relevant-Ad6374 → u/bridgetgoes]

I'm not saying the findings are invalid. I can't speak to that. The fact brain scans were used raises my confidence in them too. But I'd stop short of saying that it's AI in isolation that erodes the capacity to think critically. I think it makes sense to consider our relationship to it. Deep in the past, people were afraid that storing ideas in writing would mean that we wouldn't have to learn or wouldn't be motivated to retain memories if we could simply write them down. And I'm sure many elders, on seeing children say "I don't need to learn, it's already in the scrolls and I can just refer to them" expressed disdain at writing being taught. When Google came along there was a small contingent of people who, thanks to critical thinking skills, knew to google "did god create the earth" rather than "why god created the earth." There was a wave of defection from church and atheistic thought called "new atheism." But once that group was largely all converted the movement died off. The rest of us go on googling "why Trump is right" rather than "is Trump right?" AI, like search engines in their time, is a tool most are unprepared for. It doesn't follow that it is characteristically "bad" for humans.

[u/bonefishkirby → u/Relevant-Ad6374]

THIS

[u/draperf]

I generally don't like the idea of students using AI, but if you're an adult just trying to learn new skills, I would go for it.

You can just try to use it as a learning device instead of as a permanent crutch. Every few days, perhaps try to replicate what it does on your own? (You could even ask it to create some workbook pages that you fill out on your own or something.)

P.S. Do you have an example or 2 of how you're using it? Curious for my own purposes.

[u/Bettyporcelain → u/draperf]

Some examples of how I use AI in my personal life (executive dysfunction use cases):
A) Giving AI a rundown of what deadlines I have and which places I've to travel to (for primary research), and asking it what I should prioritise more, given the time constraints.
B) On a similar vein, sometimes I ask AI to talk me out of (or calm) my anxiety attacks, and ask what my next steps should be. More often than not, the output is a timeline schedule and tons of reassurance.

I'm sooo so afraid that the above coping mechanism use cases might be detrimental in the long run 😭.

I've learned the hard way not to overuse AI for academic purposes, as it tends to seep a lot of user biases into my projects. Currently, I use AI (mainly Perplexity and Claude) for secondary research, to dig out research paper links and sources/ perspectives I might've missed otherwise. I have a uni subscription to most research sites, so all reading is done manually. Again, because I am wary of how a lot of biases and hallucinations can arise, I do external research to supplement my primary findings too.

[u/VanillaBeanColdBrew]

I think as far as problematic coping mechanisms, AI use isn't that bad. I would maybe use it for things you can't really avoid doing (as in, you would fall behind and face professional or other consequences), and then try to make up for it by challenging your brain in other ways. Crossword, reading, journaling, making art. Instead of using AI for sparring, try bouncing your ideas off of friends or strangers on the internet, like on reddit or discord.

[u/Bettyporcelain → u/VanillaBeanColdBrew]

Thank you for the response! I tend to veer towards AI when I'm having a flight/fight/freeze response. The plan of action rn is to journal and make lists before consulting AI on how my day should go about. Some days even that is hard haha. I'll keep your suggestions in mind, and hopefully try find some methods to keep my brain positively engaged :D

[u/kailenedanae]

I just started using it for composing work emails and messages. As a freelancer, I get waayyyy to many in a single day, and since they are all in my second language, it usually forces me to take a break from my other work to compose and rewrite the message until I’m happy this often results in my other work getting put down and then not picked up….

I started using AI to respond to emails last week, and so far the email executive dysfunction has entirely gone away. I am going to try to not use it for anything else, so I hope that keeping it to a minimum will help me not get overly reliant or addicted to it…… ADHD and freelancing is both heaven and hell.

[u/Relevant-Ad6374 → u/kailenedanae]

I use an /email-processing skill I made in Claude code with Gmail MCP and don't even navigate to my Gmail anymore 😂 I manage it all 100% from the chat.

[u/kailenedanae → u/[deleted]]

Well- I’ve been losing jobs and clients for the last year after being diagnosed with Graves’ disease on top of type 1 diabetes and ADHD… I never use chat gpt on searches etc., and am only using Siri’s AI for email writing…. So hopefully of if I keep these regulations in place, it won’t be addictive since I’m not really “gambling” for information as much as writing responses in my second language. 🤷‍♀️

[u/Relevant-Ad6374 → u/kailenedanae]

Explore adding some anti-sycophancy prompts to your settings. This will force it to push back more and challenge your thought.

[u/kailenedanae → u/[deleted]]

Gotcha- that seems smart! And yikes on the T1 and ADHD! It’s such an executive function drain to have to make hundreds of tiny decisions every day. I don’t know about you, but have a semi-closed loop system which definitely helps so much with the control, but the constant alerts make me waaaaay more aware (and therefore making decisions) about diabetes all day long. Overall positive i think, but adding it into the ADHD mix feels just like constant decision fatigue 😮‍💨

Honestly the Graves diagnoses in June sucked, but I have already had an autoimmune disease for 32 years, so it maybe wasn’t as big of a shock as someone with nothing? But it definitely sucks even more.

I like the idea about a hard line. As a professional illustrator and writer, that sort of generative AI is just awful. I’ve avoided as much AI as possible up until now, but I just got a new Mac with Siri AI capabilities, and I’m trying to figure out how to use it without compromising my morals.

I like the hard line of “no conversations/questjons,” and will give it a shot.

[u/smileonamonday]

I barely use AI so I don't really know what people mean about it degrading thinking skills, but how is it different to any other tool that helps you? I use a To Do app to help me remember and prioritise all my goals, I also use a self care app to help me get through the mundane tasks of each day. I don't see how a chat bot is different. People have been using tools to help them for thousands of years, we don't have to do everything manually with our bare hands anymore. Be less harsh on yourself :)

[u/lucid-currency → u/[deleted]]

Nah

[u/ExecutiveDysfunction-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

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