
309 - Guest: Michael Gerlich, Adaptability Thought Leader, part 1
From Artificial Intelligence and You by aiandyou
May 18, 2026 · 35 min · Episode 310
About this episode
Professor Michael Gerlich discusses the implications of AI on cognitive autonomy and effective learning strategies.
This and all episodes at: https://aiandyou.net/ . Professor Michael Gerlich is back on the show, calling from Zurich, Switzerland. His new book, The Convenience Trap: What Happens When AI Becomes the Mind Behind Our Lives is about the threats to what I call our "cognitive autonomy" when we use AI the wrong way. And it turns out that the ways we tend to use it are mostly the wrong way, which was what Michael was talking about last October, because he is the author of a widely-cited study showing that students’ use of AI for cognitive offloading impaired their critical thinking. But his new research shows that following what he calls the structured prompting protocol, of using your brain first, AI second, results in improved learning. Michael is the Head of Center for Strategic Corporate Foresight and Sustainability at SBS Swiss Business School. His research and publications largely focus on the societal impact of Artificial Intelligence. He’s also taught at the London School of Economics and Political Science, Cambridge, and other institutions. He’s also been an adviser to the President and the Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan, the Uzbekistan Cabinet, and ministers of economic affairs…
People in this episode
Guest: Michael Gerlich
Topics covered
- AI and cognitive autonomy
- cognitive offloading
- structured prompting protocol
- effective AI use
- societal impact of AI
- education
Keywords
- AI
- cognitive autonomy
- cognitive offloading
- structured prompting
- learning
- education
- societal impact
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: SBS Swiss Business School, London School of Economics and Political Science
Books & works: The Convenience Trap: What Happens When AI Becomes the Mind Behind Our Lives
Places: Zurich, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan
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