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How to ThinkIn the Age of AI

Concepts

The irreducible epistemic atoms underlying the curriculum. 4,828 atoms across 8 types

Rule

Only automate decisions that are frequent, stable…

Design agents only for decisions that score high on frequency (recurring often), stability (same answer each time), and low individual stakes, because these three properties determine whether automation saves resources without introducing unacceptable risk.

1 lessondecision-makingautomationcognitive-offloading
Rule

Never automate decisions with genuine per-instance novelty…

Do not automate decisions where the outcome is genuinely different each instance even if the category recurs (interpersonal conflicts, creative problems, novel diagnoses), because automating decisions with genuine novelty produces rigidity disguised as efficiency.

1 lessondecision-makingautomationcognitive-offloading
Rule

Externalize high-stakes agents to tools and environment…

Externalize critical reliability agents (medication, safety checks, high-stakes commitments) to tools or environments rather than trusting biological memory, because internal agents degrade precisely when stakes are highest—under stress and cognitive load.

2 lessonsbehavior-changereliabilityenvironmental-design
Rule

Categorize weekly decisions as routine or novel — build…

Audit your work week by categorizing each decision as 'routine' (similar decision made before, could use framework) or 'novel' (requires fresh thinking), then for the five highest-frequency routine decisions, draft simple frameworks (default answer, two-option heuristic, or pre-commitment rule) and implement all five within one week.

1 lessondecision-makingautomationproductivity