The cultural channel ARTE released a documentary episode of "Les idées larges" questioning whether artificial intelligence is making humans less intelligent [1].

This inquiry comes as generative AI becomes integrated into daily professional and academic life. The shift raises concerns about the long-term cognitive effects of outsourcing critical thinking and judgment to machine-learning models.

Presented by Laura Raim and co-hosted by Youness Bousenna, the program features guest Anne Alombert to analyze the societal shifts triggered by these technologies [1]. The discussion centers on the era of generative AI, which gained significant momentum following the release of ChatGPT on Nov. 30, 2022 [1].

One primary concern discussed is the potential for cognitive decline. The program references the philosophy of Hannah Arendt, noting that the moral collapse of a society does not always require a desire to do evil, but can instead reside in the erosion of the capacity to judge [2].

Beyond cognitive impact, the documentary touches upon the material and economic costs of the AI boom. A writer for La Presse said that innovation will devour jobs and consume too much electricity [3].

The debate highlights a tension between the efficiency of AI and the preservation of human intellectual autonomy. As users rely more on automated summaries and generated text, the ability to synthesize information independently may diminish, a trend the program examines through expert testimony [1].

“"L’innovation dévorera les emplois. Elle consommera trop d’électricité."”

The focus on 'the capacity to judge' suggests a shift in the AI debate from immediate economic disruption to long-term cognitive atrophy. If generative AI replaces the process of critical analysis rather than augmenting it, society may face a systemic decline in independent reasoning and ethical discernment.