I've been using AI for 3 years,I've lost the ability to think for myself

As long you can open up a browser and tell HN about your experience there's ain't a problem.

It's a tool and I'm using it too. You forget things when you don't steady repeat them. It's a use it or lose it situation, but a win-win for your self empowerment.

So, how do you use it? May be you just need to change a little bit in your usage, like me switched on verbose mode answering so i can read what's actually being done during thinking steps and code. That keeps me busy babysitting that energy sucker. ...

I still remember that impulse, before AI, of googling everything before thinking a bit. AI as a technology is incredibly new and we're still figuring out how to use it, but things will stabilize. 'googling' everything also didn't take away our ability to think, so as long as you're aware, you can do something about it.

AI is useful, but I think structured learning tools still matter a lot, especially when explaining basic human concepts in a simple way.

I feel the same way at times. There was a time I used to love writing, communicating and often "starting from scratch", but in the recent years where ChatGPT started replacing college assignments, I slowly stopped thinking originally, and started a feedback loop where everything I write, no matter what it is, has to get "checked" by an AI first.

I think changes comes slowly though, my way of starting change was writing this all by myself