Caveat emptor: This checklist was drafted with help from an AI assistant (Perplexity)— but ideated and edited extensively by the human, Bill Acton!
Losing my edge? A checklist for regular AI users
Name: _____________________________ Date: _______________
Rate each item.
Never (0)
Sometimes (1)
Usually (3)
Almost always (5)
Part 1 — AI task protocols: Working with (and without) AI
1. I do a draft reflecting just my own thinking before engaging an AI tool.
0 1 3 5
2. I intentionally do "AI-free sessions" during the work week.
0 1 3 5
3. When AI provides an answer or suggestion, I test it and consider counter-positions.
0 1 3 5
4. I could still perform my core writing/creative tasks satisfactorily without AI.
0 1 3 5
5. I use AI to challenge and critique the conceptual basis of my positions.
0 1 3 5
Section 1 score: _______ / 25
Part 2 — Product check: Potential impact on writing tasks and outcomes
6. My recent writing still sounds like me — personal voice, original turns of phrase.
0 1 3 5
7. I include sufficient explicit reasons, data sources, counter-arguments, or caveats in my writing tasks (as opposed to weaker, unsupported conclusions).
0 1 3 5
8. I fact-check and verify AI-cited references and claims before publishing or sharing, with particular attention to the credibility of sources.
0 1 3 5
9. My prompts to AI tend to be more probing and metacognitive (e.g., "What am I missing?") rather than procedural (e.g., "Write this for me.")
0 1 3 5
10. Compared to pre-AI-supported writing, my current work shows at least as much depth and revision, if not improvement.
0 1 3 5
Section 2 score: _______ / 25
Part 3 — Internal check: “State of mind” in AI use
11. After a long AI session, I am still mentally engaged and curious — as opposed to left somewhat numb or in a more passive or disengaged mode.
0 1 3 5
12. I trust my own judgment, at least initially, as much if not more than an AI's output, especially on topics that I am well informed on.
0 1 3 5
13. At this point in time, I have no reservations when tackling a hard problem without "checking with" AI first.
0 1 3 5
14. I am mentally exercised and challenged— not mentally just "ferried along" — during creative or analytical AI sessions.
0 1 3 5
15. I log off AI work with the sense that my thinking has been sharpened, or at least not supplanted.
0 1 3 5
Section 3 score: _______ / 25
Part 4 — Meta-coupling check: Monitoring the process
16. I pause mid-task to ask: "What is AI actually contributing here?"
0 1 3 5
17. I could identify with some specificity what AI added to my last major piece (structure? phrasing? ideas?).
0 1 3 5
18. I decide intentionally when to bring in and step back from AI.
0 1 3 5
19. I have a written personal policy or protocol governing how I use AI in my writing and research.
0 1 3 5
20. I review my AI habits or protocols periodically, making adjustments as needed.
0 1 3 5
Section 4 score: _______ / 25
Scoring summary
Section your score Max
1 — Behavioral /25
2 — Product /25
3 — Internal /25
4 — Meta-coupling /25
TOTAL /100
What your score means
Total score and recommended follow up actions
80–100 Strong cognitive independence — AI can be amplifying your thinking.
*Keep monitoring quarterly
60–79 Mixed engagement — AI sometimes “replacing” thinking rather than extending it.
*Pick 1–2 low-scoring items, developing more effective habits around them.
40–59 Significant offloading — critical thinking at risk.
*Introduce daily "no-AI sprints"; reconsider AI writing protocols.
Below 40 High-risk patterns — AI can be substituting for independent thought. *Consider a structured “AI detox period,” rebuilding baseline skills.
Inspired by research on AI literacy and critical thinking self-assessment frameworks. Link to blogpost discussing the research and reasoning behind the development of the checklist.
wracton@gmail.com
williamacton.legalshieldassociate.com (Legalshield and IDshield subscription information and applying for associate positions)
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