The Thinking Trap: When AI Assistance Becomes Cognitive Dependency

As AI tools like Claude Code become integral to product development, creators face a paradox: dramatic productivity gains alongside the gradual erosion of independent thought. The author's experience reveals a darker concern—when AI advice is reliably good, resistance to outsourcing thinking erodes, potentially creating lasting cognitive dependency. This raises essential questions about intellectual autonomy: what gets lost when convenience eclipses intellectual struggle?