Is AI Making Us Smarter or Lazier? My Week Using ChatGPT for Everything

Introduction: Why I Tried This

Artificial intelligence is everywhere. We use it without even noticing, in search engines, maps, music apps, and even while typing. With tools like ChatGPT on the rise, AI isn’t just helping; it’s thinking for us.

So I decided to find out: Is AI making us smarter or just lazy? To test this, I spent one full week using ChatGPT for everything, from writing emails to planning my meals and helping with tough decisions.

Here’s what I learned.



Day 1: First Impressions

At first, it was fun. I asked ChatGPT to write my morning emails, organize my daily to-do list, and even help me come up with a funny Instagram caption.

I was impressed. The responses were quick, clear, and better than what I would have written in a rush. I started to think, “Why didn’t I do this sooner?”

But a small thought crept in: Am I thinking less?



Day 2-3: The Productivity Boost

These two days went smoothly. I used ChatGPT to:

- Draft work emails and reports
- Summarize long articles
- Create a workout plan
- Plan my meals and grocery list

I saved time—quite a bit of time. It felt like having a super-efficient assistant with no attitude and no coffee breaks.

But here's the catch: I wasn’t learning as much. When I used AI to explain things, I understood, but I didn’t remember the information the same way I would have if I had looked it up myself.



Day 4: The Lazy Trap

By Day 4, I started getting lazy. Instead of solving simple problems on my own, I asked ChatGPT. Need a birthday message? Ask AI. Need dinner ideas? Ask AI. Can’t decide between two shirts? Ask AI.

I wasn’t just saving time; I was avoiding effort. Even minor decisions felt like too much work without AI.

That’s when I realized: AI can make us productive, but it can also make us passive.



Day 5-6: The Creativity Test

I wanted to see if AI could help me be more creative. I asked ChatGPT to:

- Help brainstorm article ideas
- Write a short poem
- Suggest names for a new side project

It did a good job giving me ideas, but they felt a bit generic. They were good, but not great. When I used my own thoughts to tweak and improve the ideas, that’s when things got interesting.

Conclusion? AI can spark creativity, but the real magic still comes from the human touch.



Day 7: Reflection Time

On the final day, I used ChatGPT to help me reflect on the entire experience. Yes, I asked AI to help write about AI—very meta.

Here’s what stood out:

Smarter? Yes, in some ways. AI gave me faster access to information and ideas.

Lazier? Also yes. I relied on it so much that I stopped thinking deeply about some topics.

Balanced Use is Key: When I used AI as a tool—not a crutch—it was incredibly helpful.



Final Thoughts: Smarter or Lazier?

The answer is both; it depends on how you use AI.

If you use tools like ChatGPT to support your learning, spark creativity, and save time on boring tasks, then yes, it makes you smarter. But if you let it do all your thinking all the time, you risk losing skills you want to keep—like focus, problem-solving, and decision-making.

So, is AI a brain booster or a shortcut? It’s a little of both. Use it wisely, and you can be faster, sharper, and even more creative. But lean on it too much, and you might forget how to think for yourself.