An expert confirms... Artificial intelligence is making us lose the “virtue of patience”

AI and patience

An expert confirms... Artificial intelligence is making us lose the “virtue of patience”

At a time when there is increasing reliance on artificial intelligence tools to obtain immediate answers and complete tasks at an unprecedented speed, an American academic has warned that these technologies may have a less obvious side effect, which is the erosion of the “virtue of patience” that has long been associated with learning and deep thinking.

Professor Christian B. Miller, professor of philosophy at Wake Forest University, said in an article published on The Conversation platform that artificial intelligence is not only changing the way we research and write, but it is also reshaping people’s expectations about the time and effort needed to access knowledge.

Miller also explained that students in the past used to spend long hours in libraries or searching through multiple sources to prepare their research papers, a process that required a great deal of patience, analysis, and critical thinking. Today, artificial intelligence tools are able to provide complete answers within a few seconds.

Speed culture

He believed that the Internet began this transformation years ago, but artificial intelligence has taken it to a new level, as the user no longer needs to search or compare sources, but rather gets ready and immediate answers. He pointed out that this pattern may gradually lead to a decline in the ability to tolerate delay or deal with tasks that require time and mental effort, which is reflected in research, writing, and critical thinking skills.

The author relied on research in psychology that confirms that human expectations adapt to repeated experiences. Just as a person gets used to the speed of his new device and then becomes less tolerant of any delay, the continued reliance on artificial intelligence may make obtaining immediate answers natural and expected.

AI and patience

Impact on education

In addition, the article provided an example of this in educational institutions, where some students may resort to using artificial intelligence tools to interpret texts or formulate analyzes and criticisms instead of doing this process themselves. He also pointed out that the influence extends to other areas, such as preparing religious sermons or writing professional letters and planning business, tasks that previously required hours of preparation and research.

AI and patience

Benefits of patience

The researcher emphasized that patience is not just a positive social behavior, but rather a characteristic linked to a set of beneficial results. Previous studies have linked patience to improved mental health, enhanced ability to regulate emotions, increased life satisfaction, in addition to improving social relationships and cooperation with others.

Miller also suggested several steps to counter this potential effect, including choosing the most effortless path in some tasks instead of relying on shortcuts provided by artificial intelligence tools, and allocating time for reading and writing away from digital distractions.

AI and patience

He also called on educational and cultural institutions to encourage direct intellectual interaction and not to integrate artificial intelligence into all aspects of work and learning. At the same time, he pointed out that developing patience is not limited to research or study, but can be enhanced through daily activities such as playing sports, handicrafts, gardening, and other tasks that require time and perseverance.

The article concluded that artificial intelligence offers great benefits in accelerating access to information, but in return it may lead to the loss of some mental and behavioral skills that are usually formed through waiting, experimentation, and gradual learning, most notably patience.