[AI Fatigue] The story of how my brain screamed after using it every day—what I lost behind the convenience

Hello there~♪
Thank you so much for coming to Mugi-ya's note (´∀｀)

Today, there is something I really want to ask you all.

Lately, haven't you been feeling things like this?

• My head feels kind of foggy from using AI tools too much

• There is so much information that I've started to lose track of what's true

• The contradictory feeling of "It's convenient, but it's exhausting..."

Actually, after using ChatGPT and Claude every single day, one day I suddenly hit a wall and thought, "I can't do this anymore..."...

In this article, I will talk about the reality of the "AI fatigue" I experienced as an AI lover, and the "courage to take a step back" that I learned from it.

There are things I want you to know in order to have a healthy relationship with AI.

My failure story: "It was so convenient that I didn't realize I was getting tired"

This is a story from around last autumn.

I was making full use of AI for both work and my personal life.

• Organizing tasks with ChatGPT when I wake up in the morning

• Outlining note articles with Claude during my commute

• Creating documents with Gemini during work

• Generating images with Midjourney after getting home

• Checking tomorrow's schedule with ChatGPT again before bed

"This is so efficient! I'm doing great!"

...is what I thought.

But one day, something like this happened during a meeting.

Boss: "Mugi-san, what do you think about this?"
Me: "Um... well..."

My mind went blank. I couldn't think of anything.

I had become unable to do something I used to do naturally: express my own opinion.

The blood drained from my face.

"Oh no. I've forgotten how to think for myself..."

What I lost by relying too much on AI

From that day on, I tried to observe my state calmly.

And then, I realized something terrifying.

I was delegating my decision-making more and more

I had developed a habit of asking AI immediately whenever I was unsure about something.

"Which design do you think is better?"
"How should I reply to this email?"
"What do you recommend for lunch today?"

...I was even asking AI about lunch, for goodness' sake (lol).

But this isn't funny.

I had been gradually handing over the opportunities to make my own decisions to AI.

Losing my own core due to information overload

Every day, I was getting a massive amount of information from AI.

• The latest AI news

• Technology trends

• Prompt engineering techniques

• Success stories of side hustles

But there was just too much information...

"Wait, what was it that I actually wanted to do again?"

Gathering information became the goal, and I lost sight of my own core purpose.

Opportunities for deep thinking had decreased.

This was the most shocking part.

As I relied on AI more and stopped thinking for myself...

I stopped coming up with original ideas.

For my note articles, I would just use the structure AI suggested.
For the text, I would just tweak the AI's words a little.

"Is there any point in me writing this?"

The moment I thought that, my heart nearly stopped.

Insights on 'AI Fatigue' from Psychology and Cognitive Science

I was curious, so I looked into it.

It turns out there is research and discussion on this topic.

Decision Fatigue

There is research and discussion suggesting that the quality of judgment tends to drop after repeated decision-making, which is sometimes called 'decision fatigue' (though there is debate surrounding related studies).

Using AI often increases the number of choices available.

"Here's another way to do it."
"You could also try this approach."

It seems convenient at first, but...

having too many choices can make it easier to get lost or feel exhausted

It has been pointed out that fatigue accumulates with repeated decision-making, potentially lowering the quality of one's judgment.

The limits of information processing

The "7±2" rule is a well-known argument, but it fluctuates depending on the situation and "chunking," and subsequent research suggests that working memory capacity is around 3 to 5 chunks.

But AI provides a massive amount of information at once, doesn't it?

My brain was overheating trying to process all that information.

Decrease in opportunities for deep thinking

This is just my personal experience, but when I rely on AI, there are more situations where I'm satisfied with a superficial understanding.

"Hmm, I see, so that's how it is."

But do I really understand it?
Can I explain it in my own words?

...Actually, I can't.

Because the opportunities to think deeply had decreased, I felt like my thinking ability was declining.

Keeping your distance is also a form of AI literacy

That's when I realized.

"Mastering AI" doesn't mean using it constantly.

Maintaining an appropriate distance is also an important part of AI literacy.

A new perspective on AI literacy

Generally speaking, when people talk about AI literacy...

• Being able to write good prompts

• Being able to master the latest tools

• Understanding how AI works

That's the kind of image people have, right?

But I think this.

True AI literacy includes the decision to 'not use it'.that is.

The importance of time spent not relying on AI

There is a concept generally called digital detox.

It means creating time to step away from smartphones and PCs.

I apply this to AI as well.

Consciously creating 'time to think without AI'.

Then, something strange happened.

I felt like my own judgment had returned!

3 measures against 'AI fatigue' that I am practicing

Learning from my failures, I am now practicing these methods♪

1. Set an AI-free time

Create 2 hours every day where you don't use AI

In my case:

• 1 hour in the morning (after waking up)

• 1 hour at night (before going to bed)

During this time:

• Take notes with paper and pen

• Have time to just zone out and think

• Make decisions based solely on my own intuition

At first, I was anxious.

"Will I be okay without AI...?"

But when I tried it...

In my case, my head felt incredibly clear!

I had the sensation of my own thinking coming back (´∀｀)

2. Before asking AI, think for yourself for just 5 minutes

I highly recommend this!

When a question pops up, don't ask AI immediately.

First, try thinking about it yourself for 5 minutes.

Try writing it down on paper.
Try coming up with your own answer.

If you ask AI after that...

• You can compare your own thoughts with AI's suggestions

• You can judge which is better

• You get the feeling that your own thought process is being trained

Since I started doing this, I feel like my thinking ability has clearly returned!

3. Create one day a week as a complete AI-free day

I have made Saturday my "AI-free day."

On this day:

• I don't open ChatGPT

• I don't use Claude either

• Even giving up Midjourney

Instead:

• Go for a walk

• Read a book

• Meet with friends

• Zone out

I feel that "time doing nothing" is actually the most creative. I feel that.

Strangely enough, in my case, the day after an AI break...

Ideas often come flooding in♪

Let's reclaim "human time"

AI is certainly convenient.

I love it too(´∀｀)

But don't lose what's important by relying on AI too much.

Balance is everything

• Things to leave to AI

• Things humans should think about

This line is important.

My criteria:

• Routine tasks/Information gathering → AI

• Creative thinking/Judgment → Human

If you feel tired, have the courage to step away

But I have to use it for work...

I understand that feeling.

But if you keep using it while exhausted...

• Quality will drop

• Mistakes will increase

• Judgment will become dull

Taking a break is not slacking off.

It is a necessary investment to maintain your performance.

A small step you can take starting today

You don't have to try to do everything at once.

First, please try just this:

Stay away from AI for just 30 minutes before bed tonight.

Put your phone down,
just zone out.
Think about things.
Think about nothing at all.

That is all you need to do.

You might just feel a change♪

Finally

AI is a wonderful tool.

But a tool is just a tool.

The protagonist is you yourself.

If you feel tired of AI, that is a sign from your body.

It is saying, "Let's take a break."

Please do not ignore that voice.

Have you ever felt AI fatigue?

If you have, how do you deal with it...
please let me know in the comments!

Let's find a way to have a healthy relationship with AI together (´∀｀)♪

If this article was even a little helpful,
I would be happy if you could leave a like or a comment!

Your small support is a great encouragement to me.

Let's grow together♪

Mugi🌾

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