When Intelligence Is Abundant, What Becomes Scarce with Katherine Elkins
What if the real risk of AI isn’t that it replaces thinking, but that we stop doing it?
In this episode of What If?, Leslie Grandy sits down with Katherine Elkins, professor, AI ethics researcher, and co-founder of one of the first human-centered AI programs in higher education, to explore a profound shift already underway:
We are entering a world where intelligence is abundant, but judgment is scarce.
AI can generate ideas, synthesize information, and produce outputs at scale. But that doesn’t mean it knows which ideas matter or why. As a result, the value of human contribution is changing. It’s no longer about producing the first draft. It’s about framing the right problem, exercising taste, and taking responsibility for the choices that follow.
Together, Leslie and Katherine explore:
Why creativity is shifting from generating ideas to choosing what’s worth pursuing
The growing importance of agency, the ability to direct both human and AI effort toward meaningful outcomes
Why critical thinking is harder to measure and more essential than ever
How education is struggling to adapt as AI reshapes what it means to “learn”
Why the humanities may become more (not less) important in teaching focus, attention, and deep thinking
The tension between AI-native talent and experienced leaders and what bridges that gap
Why transparency in AI usage inside organizations is becoming a hidden leadership challenge
How future employees will need to manage AI systems, not just use them
Katherine also raises a critical concern: as AI becomes more capable, people may begin to outsource not just tasks, but judgment itself. And when that happens, organizations don’t just lose rigor, they lose accountability.
This episode challenges a common assumption: that more intelligence automatically leads to better outcomes.
It doesn’t.
Because in a world where ideas are easy, the real advantage belongs to those who can discern, decide, and take ownership.
Reflection question:
Are you using AI to extend your thinking or to avoid it?
