AI is testing more than our intelligence — it’s testing our discipline, ambition, and willingness to think for ourselves.
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Many people are familiar with the Stanford Marshmallow Experiment. Conducted in 1972 by Walter Mischel, the study tested children’s ability to delay gratification.
Each child was given a marshmallow and told they’d receive a second one if they could resist eating the first for 15 minutes.
Predictably, some kids devoured the marshmallow immediately. Others tried to resist in various ways — some sniffed it, stared at it, or covered their eyes to avoid temptation.
The key finding? Those who could delay gratification tended to achieve greater success later in life. The study suggested that self-control was a strong predictor of future achievement.
Today, a similar test of restraint is playing out on a much larger scale — not with marshmallows, but with artificial intelligence (AI).
Like those children staring at a marshmallow, we’re faced with a choice — take the easy reward now or exercise discipline for something greater. Do we let AI think for us, automate our creativity, and erode the skills that set us apart? Or do we use it deliberately, as a tool that sharpens rather than dulls our abilities?
The way we interact with AI today — whether we lean on it as a crutch or use it to amplify our thinking — will shape our future success. Some will take shortcuts, letting AI do their work, their thinking, their problem-solving. Others will resist the temptation of complacency, pushing themselves further, using AI as a force multiplier rather than a substitute.
And just like in the original marshmallow experiment, years from now, the difference between the two groups will be undeniable.
AI — An Amplifier, Not an Equalizer
The internet was supposed to democratize information, giving everyone access to knowledge that was once locked away in elite institutions. And in some ways, it did. But did everyone take advantage of it? No.
When barriers are removed, some sprint forward while others stand still, hypnotized by the illusion of progress. The internet didn’t make everyone smarter — it made the driven unstoppable while leaving the passive even more complacent. AI will take this divide to an extreme.
For some, AI will be a pacifier — a way to think less, automate more, and let their skills wither away. For others, it will be a force multiplier, enabling them to think deeper, execute faster, and push their abilities further than ever before.
Passive consumers vs. active creators
Look at how people engage with AI today. Some use it to automate emails, summarize documents, and handle mundane tasks. Others use it to refine ideas, generate insights, and challenge their own thinking.
The passive consumer asks AI to think for them. They rely on it to generate ideas they never would have had and answer even the simplest questions. Instead of strengthening their problem-solving muscles, they let them atrophy.
On the other hand, the active creator treats AI as a sparring partner. They refine its outputs, challenge its assumptions, and push their thinking further. AI doesn’t replace their intellect — it enhances it. When AI makes something easier, they don’t stop thinking. They think harder, using AI’s capabilities as a launching pad rather than a substitute.
And just like in the marshmallow experiment, those who give in too soon will face the consequences years later — when their skills have eroded, and they’ve become replaceable.
The future — a widening capability gap
As AI advances, the gap between highly capable thinkers and passive dependents will become unbridgeable. The workforce won’t just be split between those who have jobs and those who don’t — it will be divided between those who use AI to enhance their thinking and those who can’t think beyond AI’s output.
A driven lawyer will use AI to analyze cases at lightning speed, cross-referencing laws and precedents in ways no human could alone. A lazy one will let AI generate arguments without understanding the reasoning behind them. One becomes indispensable — the other, disposable.
A skilled designer will use AI to prototype faster, explore creative possibilities, and push their craft forward. A mediocre one will rely on AI-generated content without refinement or originality. One evolves — the other drowns in a sea of sameness.
AI won’t eliminate the need for skill — it will expose how little some people actually have.
AI won’t save everyone
The comforting lie is that AI will help everyone succeed. The reality? It will only amplify the success of those who are already capable, allowing them to scale their efforts like never before.
Yes, AI has the potential to level the playing field — giving people access to tools and insights that were once exclusive to the elite. But access alone doesn’t guarantee skill — just as the widespread adoption of the internet has already proven.
For those who embrace shortcuts as a way to work smarter, AI is a powerful tool. But for those who lean on it out of laziness — avoiding effort rather than optimizing it — AI will only deepen their dependence. They risk becoming spectators rather than participants in a world shaped by those who wield it with intention.
This shift will redefine power and opportunity in ways that extend beyond traditional wealth and knowledge. Money can be inherited. Intelligence can be wasted. But AI capability — the fusion of intelligence, work ethic, and adaptability — will determine who thrives and who falls behind.
And just like in that original marshmallow experiment, the results will only become clear years later.
The children who resisted the marshmallow grew up to be more successful — not because of luck or intelligence, but because they intuitively grasped the power of self-discipline and long-term thinking.
We are like those children now.
Our behavior toward AI — whether we give in to easy rewards or use it to push ourselves further — will define our future.
So, what will you do? Eat the marshmallow now? Or wait, think, and use AI not just to build something bigger, but to grow yourself in the process?
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How we choose to use AI is the new marshmallow test was originally published in UX Collective on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
