AI and Human Cognition: The Reverse Flynn Effect and Protecting Cognitive Agency

Does using more technology actually make us less cognitively capable? For most of the 20th century, each generation scored higher on IQ tests than the one before, a phenomenon known as the Flynn effect. This trend began to reverse in several countries, though the pattern was recognized around 2010. If we think of humans like computers for a moment, the new generation may be developing different cognitive strengths: becoming better at parallel processing, visual pattern recognition, and multitasking (GPU tasks), while showing declines in deep sequential thinking, sustained focus, and linear problem-solving (CPU tasks). Change happens fast, but observing its effects on human cognition takes decades. In this episode, Pieter Vanhuysse discusses the importance of not repeating the mistakes made in the past decade and warns about keeping our cognitive agency.AI Academy website

Your parents paid for your grandparents' retirement. You're paying for your parents'. But will your kids be paying for yours? In this episode, Cat and Graça examine a structural disconnect: while tech companies plan infrastructure investments for AI deployment, there's minimal parallel discussion about how AI-driven labor market changes will affect the intergenerational contracts that welfare states depend on. The choice we make now is between anticipating structural shifts or hoping the next generation figures it out.AI Academy website

If someone asked you today whether a university degree is still worth it, what would you say? In this episode, host Helin Yontar explores how AI is challenging what people dream of doing in the future. With growing uncertainty, increasing longevity, and a generation focused on living in the moment, the picture has become far more complicated. During her time in Brussels, Helin met Arnstein, who evaluates the situation from a computer science, law, and economics perspective, as well as an educator's, father's, and citizens' perspectives.AI Academy website

In this mini-series, our host Helin Yontar speaks with guest speakers at the European Citizens Panel in Brussels, where 150 citizens from 27 countries discussed fairness across generations. This mini-series focuses on how our expectations of AI's future shape our actions today and asks: Who gets access? How is data being used? And how do we actively improve the unwritten scenario? Can we?You can expect to hear conversations with former ministers, sociologists, philosophers, and other experts, tackling the bigger questions that connect us all.AI Academy website

In this episode, we sit down with Sara, a UX designer and tech coach who joined our bootcamp looking to explore AI's possibilities. What happened next surprised even her: she built a newsletter digest assistant that learns Portuguese, created a virtual avatar of herself, and developed a real estate agent that hunts for apartments automatically.She didn't come from a technical background. She didn't know how to code AI applications. She just showed up curious and willing to try.We talk about the messy parts too: losing automations because she forgot to save, and figuring out which tools to trust with her data. Sara shares what it actually feels like to go from "I have no idea what I'm doing" to "I can build this myself"—and how that shift changes the way you approach problems.If you've been sitting on the sidelines thinking AI is too technical or not for you, Sara's story will change your mind. Sometimes the best way to learn is just to start building, even if you have no clue what you're doing at first.AI Academy website

Responsible AI sounds great in theory, until you actually try to implement it. What does it mean for a company with thousands of employees across multiple countries? How do you balance innovation with ethics, speed with safety, and automation with humanity?Melissa Kühn, Responsible AI & AI Transformation Expert, walks us through the messy, practical reality of making AI work responsibly at scale. We talk about the four stages of AI adoption, why Europe doesn't need to "win" the AI race, the surprising risks of AI companionship for lonely customers, and what happens to our brains when we rely too much on generative AI.This is a conversation about real decisions, real trade-offs, and what it actually takes to keep humans at the center when AI is everywhere. From tax systems to social contracts, from screen time to soil, we cover the parts of AI transformation nobody talks about enough.Human decisions matter more than ever. Let's talk about how we make them.AI Academy website

Meet Igor Buzaev, a business owner and interventional radiologist who became an AI Academy coach after taking our AI Agent Bootcamp.Igor shares a fascinating real-world case where ChatGPT helped a family question a misdiagnosis, leading them to seek multiple opinions that ultimately changed everything. But here's the twist - Igor explains why this could be both revolutionary and dangerous.In this episode, we dive deep into: • How AI is already outperforming doctors in empathy (yes, really) • Why diagnostic AI might be better than humans at avoiding cognitive biases • The critical difference between empathy and compassion in medicine • A personal story about AI catching what doctors missed • Why going straight to a second opinion might actually harm medical progressIgor's journey proves that anyone can master AI, regardless of their starting point. From an interventional cardiologist to a business owner, he's now using AI to transform his medical business.AI Academy website

What happens when someone with zero technical background decides to build an AI solution for a deeply personal problem? In this touching episode, we sit down with Matsume, a theater maker and AI Academy graduate who transformed her worry about her stroke-survivor father into a groundbreaking memory companion tool.Starting with absolutely no coding knowledge, Matsume used the skills from our AI Agent Bootcamp to create four different features - from daily medication reminders with her cloned voice to an adaptive storytelling system that preserves her father's memories for future generations. She completed not one, but two bootcamp editions through our AI Academy Membership, showing how persistence and the right guidance can turn anyone into an AI builder.This isn't just another success story - it's proof that the most powerful AI applications come from solving real human problems. Matsume's journey from feeling "powerless" as a daughter living abroad to creating technology that bridges distance and preserves family connections shows what's possible when we put AI in the hands of people who truly understand the problems they're solving.If you are wondering if you can build AI solutions without a technical background, Matsume's story will inspire you to take that first step. Sometimes the best builders aren't programmers - they're people who care deeply about making life better for the ones they love.AI Academy website

Meet Ivo, an AI Academy graduate who traded city life for sunsets in a Costa Rican beach town—and built an entire community platform while he was at it. With zero coding experience, Ivo used the skills from our AI Agent Bootcamp to create Nosara is Calling, a platform connecting tourists with local businesses and services in his adopted hometown.In this episode of "I'm NOT a Robot", Ivo shares how AI automation allows him to run multiple businesses, maintain his career as a marketer and DJ, and still have time to surf daily. You'll hear how his platform is already helping local entrepreneurs like babysitters and personal trainers connect with tourists, creating economic opportunities while preserving the town's unique character.Ivo's story perfectly demonstrates how our students transform from AI beginners to creators of meaningful applications that solve real problems. If you've ever dreamed of leveraging AI to build something valuable while living life on your own terms, this conversation will show you it's not just possible—it's happening right now on a beach in Costa Rica.AI Academy website

What happens when a 30-year learning veteran meets AI? Andy Lancaster, founder of Reimagine People Development, joins our community for a raw conversation about writing, struggle, and what makes us irreplaceably human.We dive deep into the messy reality of creativity – from Andy's butterfly cocoon analogy (spoiler: the struggle is the point) to why Anne Frank's diary will always hit different than anything AI produces. This isn't your typical "AI will replace writers" debate. Instead, we explore the uncomfortable truth that maybe we need that 5 AM writer's block, the blank page anxiety, and yes, even the pain.Andy shares insights from his decades in organizational learning, his time working in drug rehab, and why he uses AI for research but draws the line at final copy. We tackle the big questions: Should your teachers get credit for your adult achievements? Can AI truly empathize? And why does a handwritten letter from a deceased aunt carry more weight than any algorithm ever could?Plus, we discuss practical wisdom for navigating our AI-assisted future – how to amplify without outsourcing your thinking, why some friction is worth keeping, and the art of knowing when to put down the prompt and pick up the pen.Fair warning: This conversation might make you reconsider how you use AI in your creative process. Sometimes the scenic route through struggle leads to places shortcuts never could.AI Academy website