The Illusion of Knowledge part 2

The Illusion of Knowing, Part 2: When AI Makes It Worse

In Part 1, I told a story about a manager who skipped my training and asked for the executive summary. He wanted efficiency over the training process. That’s not always bad; summaries can reinforce what we’ve already learned. But when we rely on shortcuts without wrestling with the content, we fall into what I call the illusion of knowing.

AI Can Amplify the Illusion

AI makes it incredibly easy to get quick answers. You can ask for a list of action steps, a polished paragraph, even a clever metaphor. And it all sounds great.

But sounding great isn’t the same as recalling the knowledge when it matters. Or have the insight for a nuanced adaptation to a real-life issue. If we haven’t taken time to think, reflect, or struggle with the implications of an idea, then even the best AI response won’t stick.

Learning Is Hard

Most of the time, real learning takes purposeful effort. Sure, a song lyric or a vivid moment might stick without trying, but that’s the exception, not the rule.

Your brain filters out most of what it encounters. Literally. You’re hit with millions of bits of information every second, but your Reticular Activating System (RAS)—a gatekeeper in your brainstem—only lets through what it deems important. If something doesn’t capture your focused attention, it doesn’t even make it into your memory. And even once it does, learning isn’t automatic. For knowledge to stick, you have to revisit it. Reflect on it. Work with it. Learning happens over time, not through exposure, but through engagement.

But here’s the twist: your brain doesn’t want to work that hard unless it has to. It prefers the fast route. And that’s where the next trap comes in.

The Trap of System 1 Thinking

Psychologist Daniel Kahneman described two systems in the brain:

• System 1 is fast, automatic, and intuitive. It makes snap decisions.

• System 2 is slow, effortful, and reflective—but it only activates when you push it.

AI feeds System 1 beautifully. It gives you what feels like insight without asking you to pause, reflect, or question. But for real change, real understanding, you have to slow down and activate System 2.

Don’t Just Ask for the Answer—Build the Circuit

There’s a well-known phrase in neuroscience: “Neurons that fire together, wire together.”

Every time you engage with an idea, write it, explain it, and test it, you strengthen the connections in your brain. It’s like laying pavement over a dirt road.

But if you just copy and paste AI content without processing it? That road never gets built.

How to Learn Better in the Age of AI

AI can be an incredible learning partner, but only if we use it with intention. Here are a few ways to move beyond the illusion of knowing:

1. Focus your attention

Your brain becomes what you focus on. If you want to retain something, don’t just read it—reflect on it. Ask yourself, “How would I explain this to someone else?” The more attention you give, the more your brain will tag it as important.

2. Practice retrieval

Don’t just highlight or save the information, recall it. Make a note and review it tomorrow. Try again next week to recall it without the note, and then check yourself. Each retrieval strengthens your memory and reshapes your understanding.

3. Engage in System 2 thinking

Ask, “What’s missing?” or “What assumptions are being made here?” This kind of reflective thinking builds long-term insight and better decisions.

4. Use AI to spark thought, not replace it

Let AI generate ideas or outline options, but don’t stop there. Ask follow-up questions. Challenge what it says. Make it work for you, not think for you.

Want a historical example of deep learning in action?
Here’s how Ben Franklin trained himself to become a better writer, long before AI existed:
How to Be a Better Writer — Shane Snow

What AI Can’t Do

AI can save you time. It can organize your thoughts. It can even make you sound smarter.

But it can’t do the hard work of learning for you.

The illusion of knowing is seductive.
Wisdom is earned through attention, reflection, and the willingness to wrestle with the truth.

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