Will AI make thinking extinct?

For centuries, thinking has been considered a defining characteristic of humans, but with the rise of generative AI, this notion may need to be updated. AI can now perform tasks that were once considered the exclusive domain of humans, such as writing emails, creating business strategies, and writing software code. As a result, humans are required to think less, and this raises questions about the value we provide and whether we will forget how to think. Humans are not naturally good at rational thinking and often rely on heuristics, or mental shortcuts, to make decisions. The brain is designed to conserve energy, and thinking is metabolically expensive, which is why we often try to avoid it. The creation of AI that can think for us may lead to a situation where we no longer need to think at all, which could have negative consequences. This is similar to the physical evolution of humans, where our bodies were optimized for a hunter-gatherer lifestyle but are now adapted to a sedentary one. AI poses a threat to our minds, making it easy to rely on quick and convenient solutions rather than engaging in deep thinking. If we don't make an effort to think, we may become cognitively obsolete, and our ability to think may become an elective activity. To avoid this, we need to treat thinking as a discipline and make a conscious effort to engage in critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving.