In a Bloomberg Businessweek interview, the MIT Media Lab researcher behind Fluid Interfaces said AI should augment cognition, not replace it.

In an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek, Pattie Maes, who leads the Fluid Interfaces group at the Media Lab, warns that AI assistants may improve performance in the short term while weakening critical thinking over time. Her team is examining how large language models shape learning, problem-solving, social behavior, and loneliness. 

Because these systems can still hallucinate and may encourage passive reliance, Pattie argues they should not always provide immediate answers. Instead, she suggests, AI should sometimes introduce productive friction — asking questions, prompting reflection, and supporting deeper engagement. The goal is not to replace human judgment, but to design systems that strengthen it.