Cognitive Debt: AI as Intellectual Leverage and the Dynamics of Systemic Fragility

The paper presents a formal theory of cognitive debt, defined as the accumulation of unverified reasoning obligations when individuals rely on AI as a substitute for fundamental cognitive processes. It introduces a model with state variables for cognitive capital and cognitive debt, highlighting how increased AI adoption can lead to systemic fragility through deferred costs and externalities. This framework is significant for AI practitioners as it underscores the risks of over-reliance on AI, suggesting a need for balanced integration of AI tools to avoid diminishing cognitive capabilities and increasing systemic vulnerabilities.