Cognitive Collapse: Outsourcing the Neocortex

Embedded AI - Intelligence at the Deep Edge

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In this episode, we imagine a near future where every person is accompanied by a constant, all-knowing Artificial General Intelligence — a presence woven into daily life through wearables, ambient devices, and eventually neural interfaces. These systems promise effortless convenience: instant recall, continuous advice, and emotional support. But at what cost?

We investigate the looming risks of cognitive outsourcing: what happens when we hand over memory, reasoning, and moral judgment to machines. The discussion explores the phenomenon of Agency Decay, where reliance on frictionless AI erodes independence, and Moral Outsourcing, where ethical judgment becomes automated. Much like how GPS dulled our sense of direction, personal AGI could dull our capacity for critical thought and self-determination.

The episode concludes with a call to action: redesign AGI systems to include intentional friction, reimagine education to strengthen metacognition and curiosity, and develop new governance models that ensure user sovereignty over cognitive data — before convenience quietly becomes control.

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