Prosthetic Intelligence Vol. 3: The Power to Formulate Questions

In this article, I have deciphered the paradox that the more intelligent AI becomes, the higher the scarcity value of the "power to formulate questions" becomes, using research data on critical thinking and the logic of the technium.

This blog represents the author's personal views and not the official position of the company to which they belong.

The more you rely on AI, the more valuable the power to formulate questions becomes

In a world where answers have become commoditized, what becomes scarce?

About this series
For those new to Ghost in the Shell: Ghost = human soul/consciousness, Shell = body/prosthetic body. Tachikoma are AI tanks that appear in the series, depicted as beings that continue to hold philosophical questions.

Let's start with a paradox

The more intelligent AI becomes, the scarcer the "power to formulate questions" becomes, and its value increases.

This is not just a matter of mindset. It is a reality indicated by data. And it is also an inevitability derived from the logic of the technium.

The inconvenient truth revealed by data

A 2025 study conducted by Michael Gerlich of the SBS Swiss Business School on 666 people produced shocking figures.

Correlation coefficient between AI usage and critical thinking scores: r = -0.68 (p < 0.001)

In other words, those who use AI more have statistically significantly lower critical thinking skills. The correlation between cognitive offloading and AI usage was r = +0.72, and the correlation between cognitive offloading and critical thinking skills was r = -0.75.

In a survey released by RAND in March 2026, while the AI utilization rate among students surged from 48% to 62% between May and December 2025, the number of students who felt that "AI is impairing my critical thinking" also increased simultaneously.

The logic of the technium: The shift of scarcity

As Kevin Kelly points out, technology always moves to "erase the scarcity of one ability and make another ability scarce."

When the printing press appeared, the value of the "ability to copy accurately by hand" disappeared. Calculator -> mental arithmetic. Internet -> memory capacity. And now, generative AI has arrived.

The value of the "power to provide answers" is about to disappear. "Answers" have become a commodity. So what will become scarce?

It is the "power to formulate the right questions."

What the Tachikoma show

Tachikoma are always asking philosophical questions. "Do I have a soul (ghost)?" "What is experience?"—the questions do not stop even during combat.

In an era where AI is becoming an 'answer machine,' what humans should learn from Tachikoma is the attitude of continuing to question.

Tachikoma ultimately chooses self-sacrifice of its own volition. Not as an order, but as a judgment derived from questioning.

The Structure of Paradox

AIの能力が上がる
    ↓
「答え」のコモディティ化が進む
    ↓
認知オフロードが増える（問いを立てなくなる）
    ↓
批判的思考力が低下する
    ↓
問いを立てられる人間が、さらに希少になる
    ↓
問いを立てる力の希少価値が、さらに高まる

Three Habits for Refining Questions

1. Write down questions before answers — Think for 30 seconds before throwing a prompt at an AI.

2. Respond to AI answers with 'Why' and 'What if' — Use them as a starting point and question back.

3. Keep a log of your own questions — Good questions are assets.

Conclusion: Questions are the Whereabouts of the Ghost

From humans who provide answers to humans who pose questions. This is the direction of evolution that humans should choose in the age of cyborg intelligence.

Next Vol. 4: Where do the ghosts of engineers, designers, and consultants remain?

#Designer #Engineer #Consultant

• Gerlich, M. "AI Tools in Society." *Societies*, 2025

• CHI 2025: "The Impact of Generative AI on Critical Thinking." ACM, 2025

• RAND: "Student Use of AI for Homework Rises," March 2026

• Kelly, K. "What Technology Wants." Viking, 2010