Artificial Intelligence Is Growing. Is Human Intelligence Declining?

 Dear Friends,

A couple of days ago, I was walking down a lane when a group of five students was walking in front of me. The discussion among these boys was about learning programming. It looked like they were all first-year engineering students, presumably most of them from CSE.

One boy was sharing his experience of learning Python programming, for which he was prompting ChatGPT for every programming assignment, whether in the lab or at home. Others were asking, “What would you do in the main exam?” The casual response was, “Let's see when it comes.” Another asked, “What would we do during the campus selection process, as they expect DSA-level programming skills?” Another casually answered, “That is a far easier process than a semester exam.” The boy continued, “Most recruitment tests include online assessments, which we can manage easily.”

Fever is not a disease. It is a symptom of an actual disease. If we don't identify and address it at the root level, we are going to lose a generation.

Most companies are aware that cheating is happening through multiple means—LLM-assisted answers on a second device, AnyDesk, remote software logins by another candidate, prompting, hidden second devices (especially foldable devices), browser manipulations, hidden notes and physical materials behind monitors or on walls, screen mirroring, and more unwanted innovations.

Companies are ignoring this fact because they mostly depend on second- and third-level physical interviews. Having said that, what happens to the genuine student who has worked hard? Is it not a great loss to organizations?

A few days ago, there was an article in The Times of India (citing World Bank research) on learning paralysis. Students are using LLMs, boosting their homework scores by 18% while spending less time on assignments. The same students saw their in-class exam scores drop by 20%, with overall entrance exam performance falling by 5–7%.

Researchers from UC Berkeley, CMU, and MIT studied 1,222 people and found that using AI for just 10 minutes made it harder to focus and solve problems independently. When the AI tool was taken away, participants quickly gave up and made more mistakes on math and reading tasks. The study suggests that relying on AI for quick answers can weaken our own thinking skills over time. This is called Cognitive Paralysis.

What is the remedy?

Microsoft is working on it with Carnegie Mellon University through a programme called PRAISE. It is focused on accelerating junior engineers' learning in the AI era so that they build real skills and don't just ship code faster. The focus is on the parts of the job where people still matter most: understanding the problem before writing any code, questioning what AI gives you, and learning the fundamentals that keep you good at this for years.

Essentially, it boils down to “RAW” skills—Reading, Arithmetic, and Writing. In computer science terms, understand the problem, develop a flowchart, prompt it, and generate the code using AI (productivity is the only merit factor).

The worrying part is that AI is learning faster than humans. The layoffs have surfaced at the humanoid level as well.

When Figure AI replaced its Figure 02 humanoid robots on BMW's production line, it needed to retire the old fleet without leaking valuable trade secrets. Following a viral suggestion on X from Arnold Schwarzenegger, the company sent the fleet to a foundry in Finland to be melted down. The robots were trained to leap into a 75-ton furnace of molten steel, capturing the event on film with Schwarzenegger delivering his iconic “Hasta la vista” line. They learned to jump and were melted down.

What is my general suggestion to freshers?

Working for a startup gives them a better experience than working for an established organization. Reasons—opportunities to delve deep into problems from the early stages, working with teams despite lower salary packages, opportunities to work through a complete cycle (from problem identification to final deployment), and sometimes, a disgraceful exit as well.

This is real learning. This may not be possible for everyone in mature companies.

What is your current learning experience?

Ravi Saripalle

How much Money is enough Money? The Paradox of Wealth-A Question Money Cannot Answer.

Dear Friends

In 1993, a group of 10-15 friends and I visited a village near the Tatipudi Reservoir in Vizianagaram District, AP. While walking among the lush greenery, we all shared our dreams for life. One of them said, settle abroad. Another one for a luxurious life. When my turn came, I was told to buy a Maruti 800, knowing we could never afford it. At that point, it was an absolute dream. There was a reason for this. At that time, it cost 1.66 Lakhs. Given my intelligence levels and where I was living, I would have gotten a job paying 3K. It requires 4.5 years with zero living expenses, and with 20% savings, it would have taken 23 years to buy a Maruti car.

Fast forward, Thanks to the 1991 liberalization, the Indian IT boom took place. Before 1991, Indian IT companies delivered code by physically shipping magnetic tapes abroad. In 1992–1993, the STPI installed high-speed international satellite earth stations, starting with 64 kbps leased lines. This enabled firms such as Infosys, TCS, and Wipro to transmit software code electronically. This created a boom for computer degrees in India. Fast forward to 2003, we were able to buy a Maruti 800 Non-AC. For that matter, many of my classmates could buy a better car or a premium model than this. It took 10 years to manifest the dream. Many of them upgraded their cars. Having said that, I chose to use it till it was burnt out in 2017 for a specific reason.

Last weekend, we visited the Sri Anantha Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Vykuntagiri, on the way to Araku Valley, which faces the Tatipudi Reservoir, in a Maruti Swift (upgraded from 800). It sits at 3,333 feet above sea level and is considered the world’s highest altitude Venkateswara Temple. You might get an interesting question. This time, did I dream about anything more near that same Tatipudi Reservoir? No!! When we enter the 50s, priorities and responsibilities change. The highest priority would be to plan for retirement life with 6% inflation and unexpected medical and family expenses.

I was reading a beautiful article by Saksham Mittal, a young boy and IIT Kanpur alumnus, with the same title. He starts with a story of Leo Tolstoy, who once wrote about a man who was offered all the land he could walk around in a day. He walked so far that he never lived to enjoy it. 20 years ago, the “set for life” amount was 1 crore, which definitely aligned with society’s standards of success. At a 6% inflation, that 1 crore in 2005 would need roughly Rs 3.4 crore today to buy the same life. Hence, it remains a dream for many to think “set for life”. Hence, we require an alternative way of thinking rather than defining “set for life”.

Saksham writes further about the Famous psychologist Daniel Kahneman, who observed that an annual income of $75,000 can serve as a benchmark (maybe for the US standard; I don’t know the equivalent Indian standard). Money buys you happiness until $75k. Daily feelings like joy, stress, or sadness plateau or stagnate at this amount. And below this amount, daily miseries like illness, divorce, or loneliness are amplified. Similarly, if someone knows the threshold amount, it is considered a success in life. Till we know that number, neither should we hanker for more money nor reject God-gifted earnings, whatever little they are. We should not lament but pray to God that He gives us the realization to know that “set for life” figure.

Till we attain that realization, both “excess money” and “insufficient money” ruin our happiness. Saksham wrote about a hungry donkey that stands exactly between 2 equal piles of grass. It can't find a reason to pick either, so it starves. The 2 piles of grass were “excess money” and “insufficient money”.

The successful people are those who manage either of the excess or insufficiency. I believe both are gifts of the Lord and are defined by the Prarabdha karma of our previous life.

Ravi Saripalle

Unlocking Educational Freedom: Could NIOS + The HHH Model Be the Next Big Shift?

Dear Friends,

When I look back at my education journey—which started at the age of 6 (my parents delayed my schooling by a couple of years as I was unable to speak) and officially ended at 40 when I completed my PhD—I experimented with many things beyond conventional education (my Graduation and Master of Computer Applications).

I spent a year in Chennai attempting the AMIIE program when I couldn't secure an engineering seat.  I pursued a Financial Management course with Pondicherry University and attempted the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) program, though I did not succeed in those. However, I completed an Executive GMP from IIM Bangalore and earned another MBA alongside my professional duties. Beyond earning my Management PhD, I guided another PhD scholar in Computer Science specializing in DevOps. I also completed the Academy of Customer Excellence program at Harvard Business, certified in the Customer Centricity Program (Ron Kaufman - Up Your Service), and became PM Elite Certified.

I was a school topper, but after that, I never topped again—though I managed decently well and enjoyed the journey without stress except two years. Looking back at the root cause, it all stems from my Plus 2 (Intermediate) education, which felt like the Japanese mongoose experiment on Amami Ōshima Island, Japan. (I will explain this experiment shortly.)

In my entire academic journey, Plus 2 was the most stressful phase. I could understand the concepts, but I struggled to crack the entrance exams with speed and accuracy. That pressure impacted my regular conventional exams too. I owe a deep debt of gratitude to my classmates: Ravi Kumar, who regularly cleared my conceptual doubts, and Ravi Sankar Kottada (currently a Professor at IIT Madras), who helped me in mathematics that ultimately enabled me to pass my plus two.

A couple of days ago, there was a debate about the artificial hierarchy surrounding IIT/NIT branches. A CSE or ECE student is biasedly perceived as having higher merit compared to a Metallurgy student at the same institution—even if the candidate chose Metallurgy purely out of personal interest. Society has built a norm that if you get a top rank, you must choose according to a pre-decided societal hierarchy (CSE, ECE, EEE, Mech, etc.). This rigid expectation is creating a new era of student stress.

Now, what is this Japanese experiment?

In 1979, 30 small Indian mongooses were released on Amami Ōshima to control venomous habu snakes. However, due to mismatched active hours (mongooses are active daytime, while habu snakes are active night-time), the plan backfired completely. By 2000, the mongooses exploded to roughly 10,000, severely threatening native wildlife like the endangered Amami rabbit. A systematic eradication campaign officially launched in 2005 ("Amami Mongoose Busters"), deploying thousands of traps, search dogs, and environmental DNA testing. Following 6 consecutive years with zero sightings, Japan’s Ministry of the Environment officially declared the mongooses completely eradicated on Sep 3, 2024. This 45-year chapter is now closed, standing as one of the world's greatest ecological restoration achievements on an inhabited World Heritage island.

On a lighter note, I also concluded my own 45-year educational story (excluding those first 6 years) along with my Plus 2 "mongoose experiment"! Today, many parents are exploring alternative paths like NIOS (National Institute of Open Schooling, similar to CBSE, ICSE, or State boards). It offers a stress-free opportunity to pursue passions at ages 16 and 17—the most critical age when students develop the capacity for Transitional Autonomous Decision-Making.

In India, we currently lack institutions where students can pursue a NIOS degree while attending experiential, skill-focused institutions like Barefoot College (Rajasthan) or Practical Action (formerly ITDG, founded by E.F. Schumacher in Rugby, UK), where the sole focus is on practical mastery.

Ten years ago, I introduced the HHH Model:

• Head (Cognitive/Degree): Academic knowledge, theory, and formal qualifications.

• Hands (Psychomotor/Skill): Practical skills, technical execution, and vocational application.

• Heart (Affective/Holistic): Values, emotional intelligence, character, and overall well-being.

If we combine the flexibility of NIOS with the HHH model, could it trigger a new revolution in education?

Do you agree?

Ravi Saripalle