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The increasing integration of artificial intelligence into daily life raises a fundamental question: is AI truly benefiting us? To gain insight, headlinez.news spoke with a leading expert in cognitive training to explore how she utilizes AI in her professional and personal life. The rapid advancement of AI is prompting a reevaluation of its impact on human capabilities, particularly brain development.
Catalina Hoffmann is a cognitive stimulation and brain training expert with over 20 years of experience. She is the creator of the Neurofitness®️ Method, author of more than 10 books, including the Neurofitness Trilogy, and an international speaker, disseminator, and composer of binaural music.
We reached out to Hoffmann to understand how AI has impacted her work, the potential benefits it offers, and where its limitations should lie to ensure continued brain development.
© Getty ImagesYou are a pioneer in brain training in Spain. How did AI enter your daily routine, and what surprised you the most?
“I really try not to use Artificial Intelligence too much in my professional day-to-day,” Hoffmann explained, “because my work involves a lot of direct contact with people and a lot of creativity, and that can’t and shouldn’t be replaced by technology. However, using this tool does allow me to access data more quickly than I otherwise would, which is very useful because it allows me to dedicate more time to tasks where I am irreplaceable.”
AI allows me to dedicate more time to tasks where I am irreplaceable.
“For example, some people use AI to compose binaural music, but I do it myself, without using this tool, because I have already found that the human factor makes a big difference in the effect this music has on the brain and emotions.” She added that what surprises her most is the speed at which this technology has evolved, calling it “a clear example of how capable humans are when they set out to progress and overcome barriers.”
© Getty ImagesAs a brain trainer, how do you use AI to stimulate the mind?
“AI can help us if we use it as a tool to pose challenges. However, for me, the best thing is to use it to save time on tasks that are not stimulating for our brain, allowing us to have more minutes in the day to do what does pose a challenge to our neurons.” She recommends using AI to streamline less demanding tasks, freeing up cognitive resources for more engaging activities. “Otherwise, if we use it as a substitute for those functions of memory, attention, or decision-making, we will be contributing to our brain losing agility in those tasks.”
© Getty ImagesMany people feel fear or distrust towards AI. Can AI help us take care of our mental and emotional health instead of distancing us from it?
“It all depends on how we use it. If we use it as a substitute for human contact, it doesn’t help, but it can if we use it to put words to what we feel and experience. That is, if instead of keeping what you are experiencing to yourself, you express it in writing or out loud (because you can’t talk about it with anyone at the moment), that can help to gain perspective and for our ‘rational brain’ to be more aware of what is happening in our ‘emotional brain.’” She draws a parallel to traditional journaling, recommending it as a beneficial practice.
AI can help us if we use it as a tool to pose challenges
However, she cautions against relying on AI as a replacement for fundamental cognitive exercises. “We can ask it to give us a random list of 5 words and ask us to repeat it a few hours later. We can also ask it to give us mental calculation challenges or pose riddles. However, I always defend that the ideal is to train with human intelligence and use AI for tasks that are not stimulating for our brain, to free up time and dedicate that time to putting our brain to work… That is the greatest and best help.”
© Getty ImagesLooking to the future, how do you think the combination of the human brain and AI will change the way we live, work, and age?
“I think that combination is already changing everything, both for good and for bad. From a positive perspective, it is helping us accelerate studies on the brain and health, by collecting data more quickly and efficiently. It is also changing the way we think because we have had to adapt to using a new tool, and that is always a challenge.” She emphasizes that the key lies in viewing AI as a tool.
Ultimately, for Hoffmann, “as long as we use AI as support and not as a substitute for our brain functions, we will be winning.” Perhaps we have created a monster, but how it acts in our favor will depend on how intelligent we are.
