Sol Rashidi, a former tech executive at IBM, AWS, and Estée Lauder, shares her perspective on avoiding overreliance on AI. With over 200 AI deployments under her belt and experience leading data and analytics teams across major corporations, Rashidi has seen firsthand how AI can enhance productivity—but also how it can erode critical thinking if misused. She now runs her own company focused on helping enterprises prepare their workforces for the AI era, emphasizing that AI should amplify human capabilities, not replace them. Her core message: use AI to accelerate work, not to do it for you. Rashidi uses six to eight AI tools daily, primarily for data processing and pattern recognition. But she insists on maintaining control over her thinking. She asks herself whether AI is speeding up her work or replacing her judgment. “Is this making me faster, or more capable? More productive, or more valuable?” she asks. The goal is to use AI as a facilitator, not a substitute. One area she refuses to automate is communication. She writes all her emails, keynotes, and personal messages herself. “Anything that comes from the heart or mind has to be sincere, expressive, and intentional,” she says. “That can’t be outsourced.” She believes authentic communication requires practice and emotional intelligence—qualities AI cannot replicate. She warns against the dangers of intellectual atrophy—the gradual loss of critical thinking when people rely too heavily on AI to solve problems. Just as muscles weaken without use, so does the brain when it stops engaging in deep analysis. She points out that because everyone uses tools like ChatGPT, outputs can become generic. To stay competitive, individuals must preserve their unique cognitive edge. Rashidi also cautions against copying and pasting AI-generated content. While AI can draft ideas quickly, it often produces inaccurate or superficial responses. She recalls a time when a junior data scientist used ChatGPT to deliver a report in half the time of a senior colleague—only for the output to lack depth and verification. She issued a new rule: AI can assist, but not replace the research and validation process. Her message is clear: “I’m paying for your brain and uniqueness. I’m not paying you to copy and paste.” She stresses that AI tools are cheaper than skilled humans, so relying on them to do the work undermines value. In a world flooded with AI-generated content, discernment is key. Rashidi urges people to slow down, filter noise, and verify information. AI should be a starting point, not the final answer. The future belongs to those who can think critically, creatively, and independently.