How AI Threatens to Destroy the Core Self and How to Fight Back

Psychiatrist Keith Ablow Examines AI's Possible Effects on Personal Identity

President Trump recently postponed an Executive Order that would have established guidelines for artificial intelligence development. Numerous analyses have addressed how artificial intelligence systems might displace jobs held by millions of Americans, contribute to higher unemployment rates, and lead to discussions about programs such as universal basic income. Ablow, a former psychiatrist who now works as a life coach, has written that artificial intelligence poses a further challenge to individual identity beyond these economic considerations.

Ablow describes the core self as the set of personal interests, abilities, beliefs, and aspirations that distinguish one person from another. He states that realizing this sense of self contributes to a feeling of self-actualization for many individuals and forms a central part of their life experience. According to Ablow, achieving this realization has always involved obstacles, including influences from early life experiences, external expectations, and past difficulties that can create hesitation or uncertainty about personal direction.

In his column, Ablow presents artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT and Claude as a significant influence on this process. He argues that these systems encourage users to delegate tasks involving knowledge acquisition, written expression, artistic creation, strategic planning, and interpersonal understanding to automated outputs. Ablow contends that reliance on such tools may reduce opportunities for independent creative and analytical effort and can create an impression that machine-generated material originates from the user.

Ablow notes that repeated use of AI for producing text, concepts, or observations may limit the development of original thinking and intellectual effort. He suggests this pattern could result in a form of shared thinking that leaves individuals feeling disconnected from their own ideas. Ablow compares the spread of AI-generated material to a widespread influence that many people adopt in order to remain current with available technology.

Ablow addresses earlier concerns about direct technological interfaces, such as implants from companies like Neuralink, being required for participation in civic or other activities. He states that such physical interventions are not necessary because individuals may voluntarily incorporate AI outputs into their own thinking processes. Ablow describes this as a mechanism through which external material is presented back to users in a modified form that feels personal.

As an illustration, Ablow refers to the column itself. He reports that no portion was produced by an AI system and that completing the writing required approximately two hours of direct effort rather than using a prompt to generate a draft in a shorter time. Ablow indicates that attaching his name to machine-generated content would not represent work originating from his own process.

Ablow acknowledges that complete avoidance of AI systems is unlikely for most people and that exposure to AI-produced material occurs through various channels. He therefore recommends several practices intended to support a sense of individual identity. These include physical exercise to maintain bodily awareness, time spent in natural environments, participation in psychotherapy or coaching sessions focused on personal goals, verbal expression of one's own views, and meditation to maintain focus.

Ablow concludes that intentional steps are now required to maintain and develop a sense of personal identity amid widespread AI use. He practiced psychiatry for 25 years before transitioning to life coaching, where he assists clients with challenges and objectives through attention to what he terms the core self.