Do you want to climb or take a helicopter?

I came across this fantastic analogy (attributed to Douglas Hofstadter but unable to confirm) on the difference between using an automation tool like ChatGPT to perform a task for you versus performing the task yourself:

It’s the difference between climbing to the top of a mountain and taking a helicopter up.

The views are the same, but the difference in the means taken to get there and, critically, their implications are significant:

The climb will strengthen you mentally and physically and will probably make reaching the peak exponentially more satisfying.

The helicopter will get you there faster, but you will lose out on any benefits conferred by the climb.

Take essay writing as another example: If you write the essay, you’ll have done the work (or at least some of it) necessary to speak competently about the topic. If a model writes the essay for you, the output might be similar or better but you’ll be just as naive and no more capable of speaking on the matter and it’s important to understand if this matters to you.

Factors related to cost aside, there’s a reason people still opt to climb a mountain when the option to take a helicopter exists. They’re not in it just for the destination, they’re in it for the journey the destination requires.

This is not an anti-automation tool or anti-shortcut rant — their ability to increase our efficiency is undeniable.

However, depending on what your goals are, you can do yourself a serious disservice by opting out of the kind of difficult work that can sharpen your character, strength, and intellect.