Two recent articles about artificial intelligence caught my eye. One, from the Heritage Foundation, warned that AI companions are “harming our children.” Another asked if ChatGPT is “making us stupid.” Both raise valid concerns, but they also remind us to consider the source.
The Heritage Foundation is a strongly right-leaning voice. That doesn’t make their warnings wrong, but it does mean we should approach them with the same skepticism we bring to AI itself. Their article leans on fear and worst-case scenarios, while offering little about how AI might be used responsibly. By contrast, the second piece strikes a more balanced note: AI can dull our thinking if we let it, but it can also sharpen it if used wisely.
As with most things, the truth lies somewhere in between. Just as we should be skeptical of anything that sounds too good to be true or too bad to be true, it often isn’t entirely true. AI, like any tool, can harm or help. The key is not fear or hype, but cautious respect and critical thinking.
