In a world full of people, you must recognise and believe in yourself — that’s the key to moving forward. Those who dare to dream, unlock the gates of opportunity, while those who think “I can’t”, close them. So focus on finding solutions, not creating problems.

We are what we say. Those who claim that “society affects you” are completely wrong, because you are defined by your own thoughts and opinions. Society does not shape your behaviour — your thinking does, and also how you take influence from others. Society is made of people, and there are all kinds of people out there. It is up to you to be influenced from either the good ones or the bad ones.

Just look at people living a successful life — if they achieved success, it was because they dreamt and worked hard for it while understanding that their path could lead to either success or failure. This mind-set allowed them to be realistic and satisfied with their lives, unlike us, who give in to life after even a little setback.

However, with the growing trend of people relying more on AI than their own intelligence for almost everything, the sad reality is that when people should be using their brains, they are losing the ability to think and dream independently because of their overdependence on artificial intelligence. If you use AI or AI tools for even minor tasks, you are fooling yourself, not others.

AI’s influence on human thinking is a real concern — over-reliance on it can lead to a decline in critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The more people depend on AI for even the simplest tasks, the less they exercise their own intelligence.

As for the control aspect, AI itself isn’t inherently in charge, but the people who develop and regulate it hold significant power. The ethical concerns about AI being trained on copyrighted or famous works without permission are valid. Many argue that this is intellectual theft, yet little action is taken because AI has become so integrated into our daily lives. It’s a complex issue —AI offers convenience, but at what cost?

But even then I would urge my young readers to start using their brain instead of relying on AI. Do the work you used to do before, you don’t need the help of AI. Believing in yourself is a great achievement because only a few people truly have self-confidence and trust in their own decisions.

Remember, the human brain is more powerful than any AI’s capabilities, since all inventions in the world were developed by humans. So use your brain, since it is more powerful than you realise.

Published in Dawn, Young World, February 15th, 2025