Imagine receiving an email from a colleague that seems unusually critical. Your immediate reaction is irritation. You conclude the person is upset with you, perhaps even questioning your competence. But after rereading the message and considering the circumstances, you realize the colleague may simply be under pressure. Your initial interpretation changes.

Or consider purchasing a new vehicle. You walk onto the lot, see something you love, and immediately want it. But before signing the paperwork, you research reliability, compare alternatives, and evaluate the financial implications. Your thinking shifts from emotion to analysis.

These examples illustrate something Nobel Prize-winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman explored in his influential 2011 book, Thinking, Fast and Slow. Kahneman described two modes of human thinking that shape virtually every decision we make.  The book has tons of real life implications of how we think as humans – if you haven’t read it I highly recommend it.

System 1 is fast, automatic, and intuitive. It allows us to recognize faces, react to danger, and make countless everyday judgments without deliberate effort. It is remarkably efficient, but susceptible to bias and mistaken assumptions.

System 2 is slower, deliberate, and analytical. It helps us question our assumptions, solve complex problems, and evaluate consequences. It requires effort, concentration, and intellectual discipline.

This past week I was exposed to emerging research suggesting there is actually a third system of thinking, and one that may dramatically impact each of our lives.

In research published in February 2026, Steven Shaw and Gideon Nave of the University of Pennsylvania describe System 3 as artificial intelligence operating outside the human brain. Unlike our first two systems, this third system can generate answers, explanations, and recommendations without requiring us to perform the underlying reasoning.

The researchers identified a troubling phenomenon they call cognitive surrender: accepting AI-generated conclusions with little independent scrutiny.

Their experiments involved participants solving reasoning problems, some with access to AI. When AI provided correct answers, participants' accuracy improved by 25 percentage points. But when AI provided incorrect answers, accuracy fell 15 percentage points below the performance of those working without AI.  Even more concerning, access to AI increased participants' confidence in their answers, including when those answers were wrong.

Consider the implications.  What happens when a student asks AI to write an essay rather than wrestling with the ideas? When an executive accepts an AI-generated strategic recommendation without challenging its assumptions? When a parent relies on an algorithm to interpret a difficult family situation rather than having a thoughtful conversation?

We may gain efficiency while quietly surrendering our capacity and willingness to think critically, specifically, and independently.

To be clear, AI represents an extraordinary opportunity and I’m a big fan.  It can expand our knowledge, expose us to perspectives we haven't considered, and help us solve problems previously beyond our reach. I use it myself and learn more every time I use it.

But there is a profound difference between using technology to strengthen our thinking and using it to replace our thinking.

The research is relatively new, but System 3 - Cognitive Surrender raise issues that deserve our attention.

• When was the last time you challenged an AI-generated answer?
• When did you deliberately think through a critical issue before asking technology for help?
• Are you using AI to explore possibilities, or simply to eliminate the discomfort of thinking?
• What happens to our ability to make good decisions when technology is unavailable, unreliable, or simply wrong?

Kahneman also taught us that thinking deeply requires effort. Shaw and Nave now challenge us to consider what happens when we surrender to AI and remove that effort from our human experience.  We will all learn more over time, but for now, I’m using AI to help me think more deeply, not replace my thinking.

Tony Thelen is the founder of The River Coaching and Consulting, LLC, an executive coaching firm based in West Okoboji. He is the author of "Am I Doing This Right?" and "Things We Desire." He works with CEOs, business owners, and executives to remove pain, anxiety, and stress while making room for true personal and professional growth. Contact Tony at [email protected] or learn more at www.therivercoach.org.