Automation should speed up work, not replace thinking.

Critical thinking is at a crossroads. My buddy Dhruv Koul summed it up perfectly: "Automating thought is unacceptable."

I meet plenty of candidates, from new grads to seasoned executives, who deliver polished buzzwords and ace the elevator pitch. Yet the moment I hand them a case study rooted in their claimed expertise, the conversation stalls. Nerves are normal; this is something deeper.

Dhruv's note echoes MIT's recent "Cognitive Debt" research: heavy reliance on AI can erode our ability to recall and reason on the spot. Automation should speed up work, not replace thinking.