Chat GPT - Are we learning or just sounding like we are?

 HARD TALK

AI tools like ChatGPT are powerful. They help structure ideas, explore perspectives and sometimes overcome "writer’s block". I’ve been reflecting on how people learn and communicate in this new environment.

Perhaps my perspective comes from belonging to a generation that experienced two very different worlds of learning.

We grew up with books, handwritten notes, typewriters, and long hours in libraries. Research meant flipping through pages, taking notes, and slowly piecing ideas together. Then came the internet, search engines, and now AI. Along that journey, I’ve been fortunate to be involved in writing and (my love for) literary work, once a newspaper columnist, part of a college editorial board, contributing articles that were published in major newspapers, helping others refine their university theses. (long before the age of AI writing tools)

Having lived through both eras, I tend to see technology not as a replacement for thinking, but as a tool that can sharpen it.

Recently, what caught my attention is what some educators describe as the “illusion of learning.” I do believe firmly that when we rely too much on "generated answers", we may sound (or look) intelligent but we are not really grasping the knowledge.

Audiences today also getting more perceptive. People can sense the repeating pattern esp "overpolished" or mechanically structured ones. Posts may sound smart, yet receive little reaction when the post feels repetitive, or when questions are asked, the person behind the post struggles to elaborate further.

Over time (this may sound bitter) but it can also affect how sincerity is perceived. When communication appears "generated" rather than genuinely expressed, readers may feel disengaged or uncertain whether such message do reflect real understanding, or simply an attempt to keep up, gain attention, or compete in the digital world.

My humble advice : Originality often resonates more e.g. personal insight, real experiences, and even the occasional grammatical errors tend to feel more genuine and resonating.

Perhaps the real strength of AI is not in thinking for us, but in helping us think better.

Technology may help us write faster.

But trust me, experience, reflection, and curiosity are still what help us understand.