The smarter the internet gets, the less we think.
We let machines remember, do the math and think things through for us. They get better every year. We don’t.
The share of U.S. adults at the lowest reading level rose from 19% in 2017 to 28% in 2023, and the share at the lowest level for basic math rose from 29% to 34%.1 In an MIT study, 83% of people who wrote with ChatGPT could not quote their own essay minutes after finishing it.2 Americans see it coming: 53% expect AI to make people worse at thinking creatively.3
28% of U.S. adults read at the lowest reading level in 2023, up from 19% in 2017 (NCES).
The trend
More numbers
drop in the average U.S. adult literacy score between 2017 and 2023.1
of Americans expect AI to make people worse at forming meaningful relationships.3
of U.S. consumers surveyed say they use the internet as an extension of their brain.4
The other side
Literacy scores fell in many countries and the pandemic explains part of the drop. And used well, AI can help people learn faster.
of U.S. adults read at the highest proficiency levels, and top scorers held steady from 2017 to 2023. NCES, PIAAC 2023 ↗
U.S. adult literacy scores sit close to the average of developed countries. OECD, 2023 ↗
Why Anthony still holds this view
The top is holding while the bottom grows. That widening gap is exactly the risk.
For marketers
Write for skimmers: plain language, one idea per message. When people check less, getting the facts right is on you.
For you
Do one task this week without looking anything up.