Choosing to Stay Human

Whether to delegate a task depends partly on what you want to retain from doing it yourself. Ethan Mollick argues for making that choice deliberately, especially when practice, personal voice, or judgment is part of the desired outcome. Mollick's own writing boundary allows AI to critique drafts and simulate readers' perspectives while authorship stays with Mollick. This permits substantial assistance without making delegation automatic. The decision concerns both the finished output and the abilities or expression the person wants to develop through producing it.

“By short-circuiting effort, you short-circuit learning.”

“Consultants using AI on this task were significantly less likely to get the right answer than consultants without it.”

“Students who were given a personalized sequence of problems by an AI tutor scored 0.15 standard deviations higher on a final exam taken without AI help.”

“The point isn't to avoid AI but to be intentional about it by making a conscious choice about AI use, rather than reflexive dependence or reflexive avoidance.”