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Eroding a virtue: AI trains people to expect instant answers, and that's bad news for patience

Phys · · 1040 words · By Christian B Miller
Virtue Ethics Educational Integrity AI and cognitive decline
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What to know about Virtue Ethics

The author argues that the use of artificial intelligence tools is eroding the human capacity for patience by fostering a culture of immediacy. The piece suggests that by bypassing the effort required for research and writing, individuals lose the opportunity to cultivate patience as a virtue and recommends deliberate engagement with slower, non-AI activities to counteract this trend.

Propaganda risk 30%
Claims checked 4
Techniques found 3
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center67%
Right33%

3 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Eroding a virtue: AI trains people to expect instant answers, and that's bad news for patience Gaby Clark Scientific Editor Andrew Zinin Lead Editor When I was growing up, teachers would assign research papers that required going to the library, or later,…

Why it matters

If the paper was going to turn out well, we students needed to patiently comb through piles of material, weaving what we found into a coherent argument that was well-supported with evidence.

Common ground

Unbeknownst to us at the time, our teachers were giving us a chance to develop our patience.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Causal Oversimplification, Slippery Slope: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

The author argues that the use of artificial intelligence tools is eroding the human capacity for patience by fostering a culture of immediacy. The piece suggests that by bypassing the effort required for research and writing, individuals lose the opportunity to cultivate patience as a virtue and recommends deliberate engagement with slower, non-AI activities to counteract this trend.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://phys.org/news/2026-06-eroding-virtue-ai-people-instant.html

analyticsAnalysis

30%
Propaganda Score
confidence: 90%
Minor concerns. Some persuasive language detected, but largely factual.

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 3 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Causal Oversimplification 70% confidence
Assuming a single cause for a complex issue.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing causal oversimplification helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Slippery Slope 60% confidence
Arguing that one event will inevitably lead to extreme consequences without evidence.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing slippery slope helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 4 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 1
verified Verified By Reference 1
info Single Source 1
verified Verified 1
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Claim 1: “Researchers are already documenting how using AI tools in these contexts likely erodes critical thinking skills.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent web search results confirm that researchers and studies (including a Microsoft study) have linked the habitual use of AI tools to the erosion or atrophy of critical thinking skills.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Thousands of AI-assisted, AI-supported and AI-driven analyses and decision-making tools help scientists improve their research.Respondents expressed concerns about losing critical thinking skills due …
https://phys.org/news/2025-01-ai-linked-eroding-critical-ski…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — extended use of generative AI leads to decreased critical thinking ability among employees, study finds.The findings indicated that the more humans use AI, the more their cognitive abilities deteriora…
https://www.jpost.com/science/science-around-the-world/artic…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — AI does not inherently eliminate critical thinking, but it creates conditions under which critical thinking can either be strengthened or weakened. When learners use AI to bypass effortful thinking, c…
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-ai-does-remove-critical-t…
verified
Claim 2: “one study found that a majority of pastors are using it [AI] for sermon preparation.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The provided evidence for this claim is completely irrelevant. The web results discuss online courses and study rooms, and the Wikipedia results discuss penis size, best-selling books, and John Lennon. None of the evidence mentions pastors or AI sermon preparation.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Human penis size varies on a number of measures, including length and circumference when flaccid and erect. Besides the natural variability of human penises in general, there are factors that lead to…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_penis_size
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — This page provides lists of best-selling books and book series to date and in any language. "Best-selling" refers to the estimated number of copies sold of each book, rather than the number of books p…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_books
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — "More popular than Jesus" is a phrase taken from a 1966 interview in which John Lennon of the Beatles claimed that the public's infatuation with the band surpassed that of Jesus Christ, and that Chri…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/More_popular_than_Jesus
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
Claim 3: “researchers have linked it [patience] to a variety of good outcomes, including healthier lifestyles, greater emotion regulation, more fulfilling relationships, increased caring about equity and justice, increased cooperation, greater purpose in life, lower depression and higher life satisfaction.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific list of outcomes linked to patience appears verbatim in one search result that seems to be the source article itself ('Eroding a virtue: AI trains people...'). Other search results are generic and do not corroborate this specific set of linked outcomes.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — More specifically, researchers have linked it to a variety of good outcomes, including healthier lifestyles, greater emotion regulation, more fulfilling relationships, increased caring about equity an…
https://phys.org/news/2026-06-eroding-virtue-ai-people-insta…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Promoting inclusion and equity in international education.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/20020317.2020.1…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Adults with this attachment style tend to experience relationships as confusing, unsettling, and threatening. They may struggle to regulate their emotions and tolerate emotional closeness, especially …
https://www.rwapsych.com.au/blog/unlocking-more-fulfilling-r…
verified
Claim 4: “psychologists have long understood that people's expectations change due to repeated use and exposure to something.”
VERIFIED
The 'Mere Exposure Effect' is a well-documented psychological phenomenon where repeated exposure to a stimulus changes a person's response and familiarity, supporting the claim that expectations and perceptions change due to repeated exposure.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — In the field of psychology, cognitive dissonance is described as a mental phenomenon in which people unknowingly or subconsciously hold fundamentally ...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_dissonance
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Perceptual fluency can be considered the ease with which stimuli are re-codified after repeated codifications have already taken place (Jacoby & Dallas, 1981), ...
https://ejop.psychopen.eu/index.php/ejop/article/view/522/52…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Oct 10, 2023 ... Repeated exposure to a stimulus increases liking and familiarity, even without conscious recognition. Essentially, the more we encounter ...
https://www.simplypsychology.org/mere-exposure-effect.html
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.