Your Brain + GPTs: A Communicator's Partner, Not a Replacement

I've spent decades turning complexity into clarity. And lately, I've been watching a new narrative unfold: "AI will replace communicators," or even "If you're not using ChatGPT, you'll be obsolete." 

I am here to respectfully push back. Not because I'm against AI; actually, I'm far from it. Because our biggest risk isn't being replaced by AI, but rather using AI instead of our brains.  Let's be honest, GPTs (generative pre-trained transformers) are incredible tools. They can speed up thinking, spark ideas, and help understand complex things. But they should be partners, not pilots. When we stop thinking for ourselves, we lose the very edge that makes our work worth doing. 

Why GPTs Can Make You Smarter

Used well, GPTs are incredible collaborators. A recent meta-analysis found that humans working with AI outperformed those working alone in creative tasks. Another study found that AI-assisted writers produced stories rated as more original and useful than those created without help. 

For communicators, the benefits are obvious: GPTs break through the blank page, sharpen structure, and elevate clarity. They give us space to focus our energy on strategy - the why behind the message - instead of getting buried in the how. 

The best communicators use AI to amplify their intelligence, not automate it. 

Recent studies highlight both promise and caution:

• A meta-analysis of 8,200+ participants found that humans working with AI performed better in creative tasks but generated less diverse ideas overall. (arXiv, 2025)
  
  
• MIT Sloan researchers observed that human-AI teams excel at ideation but lose originality when AI dominates. 
  
  
• A 2025 study found that AI use enhanced creativity only when combined with critical thinking; however, when AI replaced human thinking, creativity declined. (Phys.org)

In other words, AI makes good thinking better, but lazy thinking louder. 

The Creativity Muscle Still Matters 

The research is clear: when we rely too heavily on GPTs, ideas become more polished but less distinct. Overuse can weaken creative confidence and reduce cognitive engagement. Think of it like the mental equivalent of skipping a workout.

The brain is like any muscle: it strengthens through resistance. Struggle, iteration, and revision are the building blocks of creative endurance. When we skip that process, the muscle weakens. Soon, so does the originality that sets our work apart.

How to Use GPTs Without Losing Yourself

1. Partner, don’t delegate.
Use GPTs to explore possibilities, not define them. Start by clarifying intent: Why am I writing this? What should it achieve? Then let the model help refine, not decide.

2. Flex your creative muscle.
Draft with AI, then step away. Rewrite in your own words. Add the emotion, rhythm, and insight only you can bring.

3. Experiment with purpose.
Use GPTs to test subject lines, tone, or framing. Measure whether those changes drive understanding, not just speed.  
 
4. Protect your originality.
Balance machine brainstorming with human collaboration. Innovation thrives on friction. Don’t let algorithms smooth it out.

5. Own every word.

If you wouldn’t sign your name to it, don’t use it. GPTs can generate copy, but only you can guarantee its integrity.

Use GPTs to stretch, not skip, the creative process. Keep the friction that makes your brain stronger. Because when creativity turns into convenience, we lose the one thing AI can’t replicate, the courage to think differently.