AI and the Vanishing Mind
Clune warns that colleges risk weakening the habits of mind needed in an automated era. Studies at MIT show that early reliance on generative systems narrows curiosity and reduces the patient effort that once shaped disciplined thinkers. A wiser path preserves years of reading, writing, and close study before students handle advanced tools, allowing educated minds to guide machines with confidence. A liberal education once again is seen as a solution to develop critical thinking skills.
Further Reading
The Atlantic – Clune on AI in Higher Ed
James Carroll Beckwith, Study of Pendentive Figure for Electricity, Dome of the Manufactures and Liberal Arts Building, World’s Columbian Exposition, Chicago, ca. 1891–92. Smithsonian Design Museum Collection. Public domain.