Cognitive Performance in the AI Era
AI reduces the cost of producing answers. It raises the value of judgement, question quality and independent audit.
The cognitive problem
AI tools can speed work, but they can also encourage passive offloading. The user may accept fluent output, stop forming their own model, or lose track of the decision criteria. IQ Mindware calls this risk cognitive drift.
The goal is not anti-AI. The goal is human-led AI: using tools while preserving question ownership, reasoning quality and final judgement.
ORSAR and H-AGI
The ORSAR framework gives a practical loop: own the question, refine, stress-test, audit and rewrite. It keeps the user cognitively active before, during and after AI assistance.
H-AGI (Human–AI General Intelligence) is IQ Mindware’s developing approach to human–AI collaboration: build an explicit working model, probe its assumptions and revise it while checking what the human can understand independently. Our guide to AI, critical thinking and mental models explains the method with a worked example and reusable prompts.
Related reading
- Bayesian reasoning for comparing explanations and checking AI-generated claims
- AI and knowledge workers: cognitive drift
- The ORSAR framework
- Human-led AI reasoning protocol
FAQ
Should AI be avoided?
No. The better question is whether the workflow protects independent judgement and error checking.
What is a practical first step?
Write your own question, assumptions and decision criteria before asking AI for help.