Who Owns Your Thoughts? The Relationship of Technology, Creativity, and Critical Thinking, Part I

[Bill Schmidt]

Our individual thought processes are what make us unique, but is the digital revolution eroding the ownership of those thought patterns?

[See the full post at: Who Owns Your Thoughts? The Relationship of Technology, Creativity, and Critical Thinking, Part I]

[jonahs.256]

Great article. I’m someone who is hesitant to incorporate AI into my creative processes, so I’m looking forward to Part II to hear your thoughts on how to use it as a boon instead of a crutch.

[mame17]

I like how this piece frames “ownership” as an active practice rather than something we either have or lose. To me, the risk isn’t that technology replaces thinking outright, but that it quietly removes the moments of friction where thinking actually happens. When tools give us answers too quickly, we can start confusing convenience with insight.

A small, everyday example: I’ve used online tools to anticipate school closures for my kids, including checking snow day prediction accuracy on sites like https://snowdaypredictorcanada.com/
. The tool is helpful, but it’s only valuable when paired with my own judgment—local weather patterns, school board habits, even road conditions that morning. If I blindly accept the prediction, I outsource my reasoning. If I use it as one input among many, my thinking stays mine.

That feels similar to how AI and digital tools intersect with creativity. They can surface patterns, save time, or suggest possibilities, but the moment we stop questioning, refining, or disagreeing with them, we give up authorship of our own ideas. I’m hoping Part II digs into practical ways to keep that balance—using technology as a catalyst for deeper thinking rather than a substitute for it.

[Author]

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