Abstract
Generative artificial intelligence changes the relationship between humans and technology by moving beyond storing information and skipping steps for humans to participate in processes such as explanation, synthesis, and idea generation. This essay examines the psychological mechanisms behind student delegation to AI, proposing a paradox around cognitive agency, and claims that AI can either function as a cognitive scaffold that expands human thinking or become a cognitive substitute that bypasses essential learning processes. Drawing upon cognitive load theory, cognitive offloading, desirable difficulties, and metacognitive research, this paper explores how AI influences memory, reasoning, and self-awareness during learning. It argues that the impact of AI is not determined by the technology itself, but by whether students maintain ownership over the cognitive processes that facilitate understanding and thinking. Finally, education must focus not on restricting AI use, but on developing students’ ability to use AI in ways that preserve cognitive agency.
Copyright © 2026 Scholar of Tomorrow. All SoT articles are distributed under the attribution non-commercial, with no derivative license. This means that anyone is free to share, copy, and distribute an unaltered article for non-commercial purposes, provided the original author and source are credited.