Last Christmas, we showed you how people would use AI in their daily lives. This year, to save you from tears, we're telling you how they're choosing not to use it.
Why it matters: AI is reshaping how people work and create, but many are making deliberate choices about when to leave it on the sidelines.
The big picture: There's not much scientific evidence proving that AI is making us lazy or stupid. But there is evidence that humans are wired to take shortcuts when given the opportunity.
- "We do what we can to avoid using the most calorically expensive part of our body, which is the brain," engineer, investor and tech founder Paul Kedrosky tells Axios.
- Generative AI is incredibly tempting to use all the time for everything, but nobody wants to turn into a slopper (a person who uses AI all the time for everything).
Knowing when to take the shortcut — and when to use up those brain calories — is a personal choice.
- While bosses may be mandating AI use in the workplace, most users are still making intentional decisions about when, where and how they let the chatbots in.
Labors of love, like art and writing
Actor, musician and comedian Jon Lajoie told Axios that he's been testing AI tools mainly to see what he's up against.
- "I started to get a little concerned about being left behind," Lajoie, known for his role on the comedy series The League, says. "I feel like this is probably going to be a big part of the process of making anything in the future."
- Early in 2025, Lajoie used AI to create a viral podcast series featuring a baby and a dog. It was fun, at first, he said. But, "you quickly realize that infinite possibilities are not good for creativity. Limitations are very good for creativity."
He wonders why any artist would fully turn their work over to AI. "You know you're not doing the thing that you love doing and want to do," he said.
You were trained for this moment
Others avoid AI for the work they've trained for and consider core to their identity.
- AI is great as an intern for the grunt work, says Sarah Dooley, host of the AI-Empowered Mom podcast. But the professionals she's spoken to don't use it for the skills they've spent years honing, like coding or creative direction.
- "I will never use AI for writing my column, or for journaling, or for coming up with jokes. If I can't come up with it, I won't put my name behind it," says Carlos Garbiras, business development manager and columnist for the Petaluma Argus-Courier.
Conversations with friends
"I try my best to not use AI in conversations with my friends and family," says Cara Masessa, VP at Method Communications.
- "It's really easy when in a friendly debate to say 'oh I can just ask ChatGPT,' but that immediately ends the conversation and it feels like such a loss," she said.
Where accuracy matters most, like data analysis
Science, math and data analysis were among the top topics AI+ readers said they don't use AI for.
- "It's not there for data analysis," says Kelly Sonderlund, head of insights at Samsara.
- Ruqaiya Shipchandler Akbari, founder of AI literacy startup Ammi.ai, will not use AI for math or exact calculations.
"AI tools cannot yet discern the quality of scientific evidence, gaps in research, representativeness of study subjects or sources of bias in the methods or experiment design," Axios reader Heidi King, an economist, said in an email. She doesn't use it for anything she wants to be correct.
- "I love it for checking grammar and punctuation, though," she added.
