Don’t let ChatGPT do all the thinking for you
Something that I was asked a lot when I entered the corporate world as a Math major was, “How often do you use those mathematical formulas you learned in undergrad at your job?””. Most people came from a place of genuine curiosity. Most people. My honest answer is “not a lot”. If I were to be even more honest, I don’t use any of the complex formulas I learned during my undergrad on most days at work. So, what the heck did I learn majoring in Math for three years?
Problem solving. Problem solving is the process of finding solutions to difficult or complex issues, atleast according to the Oxford dictionary. Take a look at the simple problem below.
Problem: A rectangle garden has a perimeter of 20 meters and a length that is twice the width. What are the dimensions of the garden?
When you are given this problem, what’s the image that pops into your head? If I could paint a picture of mine, it would look like this.
And yours could look different. Maybe even shorter, or longer. We all think about solving problems in different ways. But, did you already think of the steps to get to the answer as soon as you finished reading the question? If so, what made you do that?
That thing that happened in your head — all those steps and calculations — is what Math majors learn to do at school. But it’s not just the Math majors, we all have it. And just like a muscle, we can all grow it.
When your brain is working to find a solution to those complex problems, you are working on your problem solving muscle. Imagine doing bicep curls every day for multiple years. You’re going to have sick biceps — veins popping and all that good stuff. That’s what majoring in Math feels like — except the muscle is problem solving.
After I graduated, the closest thing that came to working on that muscle was coding. I was glad that I could find another thing to help me grow in this skill. But then came ChatGPT!
Ever since I’ve realized the power of GenAI, I have found myself running to ChatGPT in a heartbeat to get answers for the most basic things. Back in the day (actually 2021), I used to Google my problem and find a Stackoverflow answer posted by some random person in 2013, and appropriate that solution to my problem. But now, I get all of that using ChatGPT — hallelujah, what a time to be alive!
For all of us who want to become better problem solvers, it is undeniable that this affects our problem solving skills. Going back to our bicep curling analogy, it feels as if I invited Arnold to the gym and do all that curling for me while I sit and do nothing. Personally, I have found myself less sharp at solving problems (no, not just coding problems) and not enjoying solving difficult problems as I used to. ChatGPT makes us look perfect or at least better than what we actually are. If our work is almost perfect, will we ever stumble? And if we never stumble, will we ever learn?
Am I telling you to stop using GenAI for your work? No! Am I going to stop using GenAI for my work? Hell no! But I’m going to go about it a bit different. Through this experience, what I have learned is that ChatGPT is not the problem. I’m the problem. Yes, Tay Tay, you’re right!
“Yeah yeah yeah, SO WHAT?” (TL;DR)
ChatGPT is an AMAZING tool, but how we use it in a way that is truly helpful in a sustainable way is up to us. So now, when I encounter a problem that is worth solving, I’m going to pause and try to solve it on my own. Let those wheels turn at least for a bit in my head — let’s say 30 minutes, but that’s up to you. If I haven’t found a solution in 30 minutes, I will get ChatGPT’s help.
A surprising benefit of this has been that I can understand the answer that ChatGPT gives even better than I used to now that I have tried to solve it on my own. So instead of getting completely new knowledge, I’m filling gaps in already existing knowledge in my head.
That is my invitation to you. Use GenAI but don’t let it stop you from improving as a rational human being. GenAI is essentially there to help us be more productive. Recognizing when it’s making us productive and when it’s taking something away from us is something that we all need to pay more attention to. So, don’t let ChatGPT make you dumb!
