Few things make us think about thinking as much as AI. We are faced with a non-human challenge to our, normally rather casual, approach to contemplation. AI threatens us because of its comprehension and speed. Our first reactions to it were that it lacked the essential human elements of feelings, love, sex, hate, pain and joy. Now we realise that those human senses are almost wholly learnt, are easily imitated and are based on what has gone before.
AI learns a great deal faster than we do. Where will it end?
When we ask someone to think for us we deny ourselves a golden opportunity. As with physical exercise, we must do it ourselves to benefit. You do not walk from Singapore to Sydney unless you are in a competition. You take a plane. But you should walk somewhere some of the time to get exercise. Physical exercise allows your body to enjoy living. Mental exercise enables your mind to appreciate the miracle that is earth and the genius that is you.
Creating something new like a business or a book demands a lively, innovative mind. We know that, and generally we will pit our wits against any competition to achieve it. We do not start such innovations every day but we must keep our minds busy much of the time if we are to enjoy life to the full and delay dementia. People in their 90s want to hear ‘sharp’ said about their thinking for as long as possible. Believe me.
To achieve this, exercise your creativity by ‘perceiving relationships’ all the time. Not just between people but between things, situations, news stories. For example, why did international media thinkers not instantly come out with a view about Trump’s attack on Iran?
We should devote time every day to mental exercise. Meditating is a good discipline and one which we can combine with our work and play. Any focus of the mind at any time on a subject that requires concentration will help us think. To do this we ask ourselves questions. How do we form those questions? By being curious.
The What, Why, When. Where and How have really come into their own with AI. They present us with a mental Rubik’s Cube of a puzzle. Every one of us needs to unlock it.
Never before have we been able to reward our curiosity so quickly. We can be curious about everything. When prescribed a medicine we can look it up and learn about it. We won’t understand it all so next time we see a doctor we can ask her or him to explain it. Patient knowledge is already as big a life saver as professional medicine.
It is inevitable that we shall think about day-to-day life most of the time. Our mental exercise can take us out of this narrow passage of thought into wider questions we think other people are responsible for. We hear people grumble “What I say doesn’t make any difference”. It’s an abdication of responsibility and not true. Your voice is designed, not perfectly but very well, to give your views. People cannot hear what isn’t said. You cannot say what isn’t thought.
Jot your thoughts down coherently. Whether or not anyone reads them is irrelevant.
Most important of all, think about thinking. If you do, you will become a better thinker.
In time, even better than AI.
Good morning
John Bittleston
Please tell us how you are handling AI – at [email protected].
We are learning too.
08 Jul 2025
