The increasing reliance on external authorities—both technological, such as artificial intelligence (AI), and social, such as religious leaders—can significantly influence cognitive engagement and decision-making. This paper examines how unreflective “prompt-and-paste” practices in AI use, as well as unquestioned deference to religious authority, may weaken independent critical thinking. Evidence suggests that excessive reliance on AI reduces cognitive effort, engagement, and memory retention, while habitual deferral to religious leaders in complex or high-stakes situations can concentrate decision-making power and exacerbate social or familial problems. By drawing parallels between technological and social forms of cognitive outsourcing, this study highlights the risks of diminished agency, increased susceptibility to manipulation, and the erosion of reasoning skills. Active engagement, reflection, and evaluation are essential to maintain independent thought in both digital and social domains.
Outsourcing Cognition: AI, Authority, and the Erosion of Critical Thinking
The increasing reliance on external tools and authorities—whether artificial intelligence (AI) systems or religious leaders—can have significant cognitive consequences. The goal is not to eliminate the use of AI or participation in structured rituals, but to avoid unreflective “prompt-and-paste” practices or unquestioned deference that undermine independent thought. Intentional engagement—actively evaluating, revising, or critically reflecting on information—is necessary to prevent cognitive debt that weakens memory, reasoning, and decision-making processes.
AI and the Copy-Paste Mentality
By the third session of interaction, researchers observed that many AI users had shifted toward low-effort behavior, primarily copying default responses with minimal modification. Critical thinking can be analogized to physical exercise: when an exoskeleton performs the lifting, muscular capacity declines. Similarly, when AI bypasses the productive struggle involved in brainstorming, outlining, and synthesizing information, the neural pathways supporting these cognitive skills may weaken.
Students relying heavily on AI chatbots demonstrated reduced cognitive engagement compared with individuals working independently. Over time, users may become increasingly dependent on the tool, often defaulting to copy-paste strategies rather than generating original reasoning. Like a muscle, critical thinking deteriorates when the effort of generating, organizing, and synthesizing ideas is consistently outsourced.
Authority, Ritual, and Cognitive Outsourcing
A parallel phenomenon can occur in social and religious contexts. Extended group rituals, such as prolonged devotional singing or collective prayer, foster emotional immersion and strong bonding. Over time, participants may become highly dependent on these practices as a primary coping mechanism. In critical or complex situations, some individuals defer decision-making to religious leaders or influential figures within the group.
In certain cases, these leaders may exploit the trust placed in them. By eliciting personal or sensitive information, they can influence family decisions or even derive personal benefit from this knowledge. Reliance on such authorities reduces independent problem-solving, as critical thinking is outsourced to leaders who may act according to self-interest rather than rational evaluation or the well-being of the group. Consequently, complex social or familial problems can be exacerbated rather than resolved, demonstrating the risks of overreliance on external authority.
Conclusion
Both AI and human authority illustrate the cognitive risks of outsourcing thought. While tools and leaders can provide guidance, excessive dependence can weaken critical thinking, reduce personal agency, and increase vulnerability to manipulation or poor decision-making. Maintaining active engagement—through reflection, evaluation, and synthesis—is essential to preserve independent reasoning skills in both technological and social domains.