2 AI habits that could weaken your critical thinking, according a BCG executive

With great power comes great responsibility — and the responsibility not to deskill may fall squarely on your shoulders.

"There is existential risk of people deskilling themselves to the point of being unviable in the market," David Martin, Boston Consulting Group's global lead of people and organization, told Business Insider.

Your boss may already be taking notice. A June BCG study of over 70 global C-suite leaders revealed that half see critical skills actively eroding within their organizations.

Despite concerns, the research suggests most organizations aren't stepping in to help. BCG found that only one in 10 companies has a concrete plan to address deskilling, while a third haven't discussed it at all.

Martin said it's obvious when someone asked for an AI summary of a slide deck they were supposed to read, because they can't answer any follow-up questions or get to that next level of detail about the material.

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Martin said he wouldn't discourage workers from using AI for core tasks, but cautioned against relying on AI output without applying their own level of scrutiny and critical thinking. Instead of simply accepting the output, workers should take on the role of adversary, asking themselves the questions they or others might have, Martin said.

"Assume that what you see is wrong or misinformed, and then play the other side of it," Martin said. "Build a red team against what the AI says."

To counter cognitive decay, Martin recommends taking a one-week intentional break from AI every quarter. The goal is simple: Prove to yourself that you can still execute your job at, or above, your usual level without a crutch.

Given AI's promise of massive productivity gains, companies have a vested interest in balancing automated tasks with work that doesn't involve the technology, Martin said.