The difference between 'using intelligent AI' and 'relying on AI'.

AI is not only enhancing productivity, but is also inadvertently dividing users into two groups: those who leverage it to develop their thinking skills, and those who become increasingly dependent, to the point of losing their ability to think for themselves.

AI won't replace humans, but a lack of understanding of AI will lead to dependence. Photo: Midjourney

By 2026, AI will no longer be a competitive advantage, but rather a new infrastructure for knowledge. Just as the internet once changed how people access information, AI is changing how people process and create knowledge.

But it is at this point that a subtle divergence begins to take place. One group uses AI to accelerate what they already understand. The other group uses AI to fill in what they don't yet understand.

This seemingly small difference completely determines the quality of the output.

At the behavioral level, intelligent AI users often share a common characteristic: they don't immediately trust the first answer. For them, AI is the starting point of a process, not the end point. They question, request explanations, compare multiple perspectives, and verify information before using it.

Meanwhile, AI-dependent individuals tend to view AI's answers as the most logical solutions available. The thought process is shortened to a single step: ask and choose. In this process, the most important human capacity—the ability to question and critically analyze—is gradually being overlooked.

A 2025 study by Microsoft Research and Carnegie Mellon University found that people who regularly accept unverified AI results tend to experience a decline in independent reasoning ability after a short period of time. This isn't because AI "makes humans worse," but because humans stop practicing critical thinking.

At the cognitive level, the problem is even deeper.

AI not only provides answers, but it also shapes how people ask questions. When accustomed to always having a quick, clear, and structured response readily available, users tend to avoid complex, ambiguous, or thought-provoking problems. Gradually, thinking becomes "optimized" for speed, conciseness, and sufficiency, rather than depth, depth, and precision.

This is a dangerous change, because most of the important real-world problems, from healthcare and education to governance, do not have simple answers.

In the business environment, the consequences of this difference are becoming clear. Microsoft's Work Trend Index 2025 report shows that employees who know how to use AI as a support tool can significantly improve productivity and work quality. However, managers also note a reverse trend: a segment of younger employees struggle when faced with situations without "ready-made suggestions."

When humans master AI, technology becomes a lever for innovation and efficiency. Photo: Midjourney

In fact, current media practices show that many individuals can complete tasks quickly thanks to AI.

In the long term, the difference between the two approaches to using AI is not just about job performance, but about the trajectory of competency development.

Intelligent AI users will become increasingly skilled because they continuously learn from the process of interacting with the AI. Each question asked clarifies their thinking. Each adjustment upgrades their understanding.

Conversely, those who rely on AI may achieve short-term efficiency, but they fail to accumulate core competencies. When they no longer have the support tools or when faced with situations outside their "familiar script," they easily fall into a passive state.

The point is that this dependence doesn't stem from a lack of competence, but from convenience. The better the AI, the easier it is for humans to "delegate tasks." And when this "delegation" is repeated enough times, it gradually becomes a habit. A habit without thinking.

In this context, the most important dividing line is no longer whether or not one knows how to use AI, but whether humans still play a central role in thinking and decision-making.

AI can write faster, synthesize better, and offer more logical suggestions. But AI isn't accountable for the final outcome; humans are. When the thought process is reduced to simply "re-selecting pre-existing answers," humans are gradually losing their core competence: understanding the problem and taking responsibility for their own decisions.

This shift didn't happen suddenly. It began with neglecting verification, with accepting answers that "sounded okay." Gradually, critical thinking was replaced by a habit of choosing. The same tool is creating two different trajectories: one becoming sharper by knowing how to question and verify, the other becoming increasingly dependent because it prioritizes speed over depth.

And perhaps, in the age of AI, the greatest advantage lies not in the tools themselves, but in something seemingly old-fashioned: the ability to think independently and take responsibility for that thinking.

(Source: VLAB Innovation)

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/su-khac-biet-giua-dung-ai-thong-minh-va-phu-thuoc-ai-2513121.html