I’ve been thinking about this for a while. I use AI regularly and benefit from doing faster work, help thinking more clearly on hard days, and getting through content I’d otherwise struggle to start. But I’ve also caught myself wondering… am I building a crutch?

Given how passionate I am about Executive Functions, and how central they are to both my work and my own experience as a neurodivergent person, I wanted to pause and explore this. Because I think the answer is genuinely both.

What are Executive Functions (quick recap)?

If you’ve read some of my previous posts you’ll know this territory. But for anyone unsure: Executive Functions are the set of cognitive skills that help you manage your thoughts, actions and emotions. EF’s are the brain’s management system, and they’re something everyone has, even if they show up differently from person to person. We use our EF’s for planning, organising, working memory, impulse control, cognitive flexibility, and emotional regulation. Learn more from the image below:

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They also aren’t fixed. They can be strengthened, supported, and yes – they can atrophy too, if we stop using them. The last bit is where this gets interesting.

Where AI genuinely helps

There are real, meaningful ways AI supports Executive Function, and I say this from personal experience, not just theory.

Reducing cognitive load is a big one. On days when my brain is already stretched (whether that’s sensory overwhelm, too many context switches, or just a difficult week) the idea of starting from a blank page on a document or email can feel impossible. Being able to give AI a messy set of thoughts and have it help me structure them gets me unstuck. It’s not doing the thinking for me; it’s removing the barrier to getting started.

Summarising content is another. I’ve written about this before with Copilot – dragging in a long article and getting a summary to decide if it’s worth my full attention. For anyone with attention or working memory challenges, this is genuinely useful. You still engage with the content. You just get to choose where you spend your focus.

AI also helps with planning and task breakdown. If I have a big, vague project in front of me and can’t find the thread to start pulling on, asking AI to help me break it into steps is a real support. For people who struggle with the initiation or planning components of Executive Function, this can be the difference between starting and perhaps procrastinating, or struggling in some way.

Communication drafting is probably the most common use, and it’s legitimate. Crafting a message when you’re stressed, tired, or unsure of the tone takes Executive Function effort. Having a starting point helps.

Where it can quietly hurt

Here’s where I want to be honest, because I think this part gets glossed over.
When we repeatedly outsource a cognitive task, we can gradually reduce our capacity to do it ourselves. It’s a bit like relying on GPS for every trip – you eventually lose confidence navigating without it, even on routes you know.

AI can do this to Executive Function skills if we’re not careful.

If you always ask AI to structure your thoughts, you may get less practice doing that yourself.
If you always ask it to draft your emails, you may find it harder to find words when AI isn’t available, or when the situation is too nuanced to outsource.
If you use it to make decisions, you might find your own decision-making tolerance decreasing.

Working memory in particular worries me a little here. If we stop holding information in mind because we can just ask AI to recap it, that muscle can weaken. And for neurodivergent people who already have challenges with working memory, the short-term relief could come with a longer-term cost if not used thoughtfully.

There’s also the question of decision fatigue and overwhelm. AI can generate a lot of options, fast. For some people that’s helpful. For others, particularly those who already find decision-making overwhelming, being presented with five polished options can actually create more cognitive stress, not less.

It’s not black and white — especially for neurodivergent people

I want to be careful here not to swing into “AI is bad, use your brain more” territory. That would be too simple and, honestly, a bit unfair. For neurodivergent people, many of whom have a 30% developmental delay in Executive Functions, AI can be genuinely assistive technology. Not a shortcut. An accommodation. Just like using a task management app isn’t “cheating”, it’s working with how your brain is wired. The same goes for AI. Using it to get unstuck, reduce overwhelm, or manage sensory and cognitive load on hard days is not a weakness. It’s smart self-management. But being conscious matters. There’s a difference between using AI as a scaffold while you build skill, and using it as a substitute that quietly replaces skill over time. The former is a tool. The latter is dependency.

So what’s the answer?

I don’t think there’s a neat one. What I keep coming back to is intentional use. Ask yourself what you’re trying to do, and is AI helping you get there better, or is it doing the journey for you entirely?

There are also moments where doing the hard thing yourself is worth it. Working through a difficult email, pushing through the initiation resistance, holding a thought in mind long enough to make sense of it. Those moments, done regularly, keep the skills sharp.

Use AI. I do. Just stay curious about what it’s doing for you… and what it might be quietly doing to you.