
AI and Human Cognition: The Reverse Flynn Effect and Protecting Cognitive Agency
From I'm NOT a Robot by AI Academy
February 18, 2026 · 21 min
About this episode
The episode discusses the reversal of the Flynn effect and its implications on human cognition in the context of increasing technology use.
Does using more technology actually make us less cognitively capable? For most of the 20th century, each generation scored higher on IQ tests than the one before, a phenomenon known as the Flynn effect. This trend began to reverse in several countries, though the pattern was recognized around 2010. If we think of humans like computers for a moment, the new generation may be developing different cognitive strengths: becoming better at parallel processing, visual pattern recognition, and multit...
Topics covered
- AI
- human cognition
- Flynn effect
- cognitive agency
- technology impact
Keywords
- cognitive capability
- IQ tests
- parallel processing
- visual pattern recognition
- multitasking
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: AI Academy
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