A Nobel Prize-winning physicist explains how to use AI without letting it do your thinking for you (www.businessinsider.com)

In a recent podcast, Nobel laureate Saul Perlmutter highlighted the psychological risks of AI, emphasizing that it can create a false sense of understanding, which may weaken critical judgment. Perlmutter, who discovered the accelerating expansion of the universe, warned that relying on AI too early can hinder intellectual development. He advocates for using AI as a supportive tool rather than a replacement for human thinking, urging individuals to approach AI outputs with skepticism and to treat them probabilistically, continuously error-checking information instead of accepting it at face value. Perlmutter's insights are significant for the AI/ML community as they underscore the importance of fostering critical thinking skills alongside AI usage. At UC Berkeley, he is developing a course focused on scientific reasoning, emphasizing skills like skepticism and structured disagreement, which aim to cultivate automatic critical thinking in real-world scenarios. He cautions against the overconfidence often exhibited by AI, which can short-circuit users' innate skepticism and amplify cognitive biases. Perlmutter stresses that AI literacy is crucial; users must be prepared to question AI outputs, recognize potential errors, and remain comfortable with uncertainty as the field evolves.