The debate over whether AI is making people less intelligent centers on how intelligence is being redefined in an age of machine assistance. For most of human history, intelligence was measured by memory, calculation, and individual problem-solving. Each major technological shift has altered this balance by moving certain cognitive tasks outside the human mind. Writing reduced the need for memorization, calculators transformed arithmetic, and the internet reshaped how knowledge is accessed and retained. Artificial intelligence marks a turning point because it operates at the level of reasoning, synthesis, and expression. Tasks once associated with thinking—summarizing information, structuring arguments, drafting ideas—are now partially automated. This shifts intelligence away from internal mental effort toward coordination, evaluation, and decision-making within complex systems. Knowing how to ask the right questions, verify outputs, and integrate information becomes as important as generating it. The debate also reflects broader trends: constant information flow, reduced attention spans, and productivity environments that prioritize speed over depth.