15/03/2026

ON SUNDAY March 15, 2026 theSunday Special VIII

We’re shaping a generation that relies too heavily on AI. Here’s where it could go wrong Raising the ‘shortcut’ generation

Awareness as the last defence Globally, cybersecurity research shows that most AI-assisted scams succeed not EHFDXVH V\VWHPV DUH KDFNHG EXW EHFDXVH SHRSOH DUH UXVKHG $WWDFNHUV H[SORLW urgency, trust and familiarity. “ 6SHHG LV WKH ZHDSRQ 1RW WHFKQRORJ\ ´ ,]]PLHU HPSKDVLVHG 7KDW VDPH SULQFLSOH DSSOLHV WR HYHU\GD\ AI use. + e outlined three habits that need to VWRS EHFRPLQJ QRUPDO )LUVW WUHDWLQJ $, FKDWV DV SULYDWH VSDFHV IRU VHQVLWLYH LQIRUPDWLRQ ,GHQWL¿FDWLRQ GHWDLOV ¿QDQ FLDO GDWD SDVVZRUGV DQG GHHSO\ SHUVRQDO matters should never be shared casually. “Once data is shared, you lose control. You don’t decide how long it exists or ZKHUH LW PLJKW DSSHDU DJDLQ ´ KH VDLG Second, acting immediately on AI generated advice without verification. Whether financial decisions or urgent UHTXHVWV SUHVVXUH VKRXOG DOZD\V WULJJHU caution. “Pause and verify. Always go through Ṙ FLDO RU WUXVWHG FKDQQHOV ´ KH VDLG 7KLUG DVVXPLQJ FRQYHQLHQFH HTXDOV safety. “ -XVW EHFDXVH VRPHWKLQJ LV SRSXODU RU HDV\ GRHVQ¶W PHDQ LW¶V ULVN IUHH 6WURQJ SDVVZRUGV PXOWL IDFWRU DXWKHQWLFDWLRQ XSGDWHV DQG VFHSWLFLVP VWLOO PDWWHU ´ KH H[SODLQHG A , VKRXOG VXSSRUW MXGJPHQW QRW UH SODFH LW “In cybersecurity, the strongest defence is often not technology, but awareness”, Izzmier concluded. AI’s greatest danger is not that it will suddenly turn against humanity. It is WKDW TXLHWO\ DQG FRPIRUWDEO\ ZH PD\ VWRS TXHVWLRQLQJ VWRS SURWHFWLQJ DQG VWRS SUDFWLVLQJ KRZ WR WKLQN S FLHQFH ¿FWLRQ LPDJLQHV IXWXUHV ZKHUH machines dominate humans. Reality is PRUH VXEWOH 7KH UHDO ULVN LV GHSHQGHQFH disguised as convenience, trust given too easily and habits formed too early. By the time we realise what has FKDQJHG WKH JHQHUDWLRQ PRVW D̆ HFWHG PD\ DOUHDG\ EH JURZLQJ XS LQVLGH LW $QG the future they inherit will reflect not what AI became, but what we chose to surrender along the way.

“ 0DQ\ SDUHQWV IRFXV RQ WKH LPPHGLDWH EHQH¿WV EXW PD\ QRW UHDOLVH KRZ PXFK SHUVRQDO GDWD FKLOGUHQ DUH VKDULQJ LQ WKH SURFHVV ´ ,]]PLHU ZDUQHG C KLOGUHQ RIWHQ WUHDW $, DV D FRPSDQLRQ UDWKHU WKDQ D WRRO 7KH\ VKDUH HPRWLRQV IUXVWUDWLRQV DQG SHUVRQDO WKRXJKWV ZLWK RXW XQGHUVWDQGLQJ SHUPDQHQFH RU SUL YDF\ 8QOLNH KXPDQ FRQYHUVDWLRQV WKHVH LQWHUDFWLRQV GR QRW VLPSO\ GLVDSSHDU “Children don’t understand that data GRHVQ¶W IRUJHW 7R WKHP LW IHHOV OLNH WDONLQJ WR D IULHQG ´ KH H[SODLQHG I Q 0DOD\VLD ZKHUH DFDGHPLF SHUIRU mance and digital literacy are increasingly SULRULWLVHG $, DGRSWLRQ DPRQJ FKLOGUHQ KDV DFFHOHUDWHG TXLHWO\ 6FKRROV HQFRXUDJH digital learning. Parents see AI as an DGYDQWDJH %XW WKH ORQJ WHUP H̆ HFWV DUH rarely discussed. 7KLV WUHQG SRLQWV WRZDUG LQFUHDVLQJ K\SHU GHSHQGHQFH RQ $, &KLOGUHQ DUH WXUQLQJ WR $, EHIRUH DWWHPSWLQJ LQGHSHQ GHQW WKRXJKW RU VHHNLQJ JXLGDQFH IURP SDUHQWV RU WHDFKHUV Rather than forming their own con FOXVLRQV WKH\ LQFUHDVLQJO\ VHHN LQVWDQW YDOLGDWLRQ ZKLFK RYHU WLPH PD\ ZHDNHQ FRQ¿GHQFH LQ LQGHSHQGHQW MXGJPHQW DQG reduce tolerance for uncertainty. “ :KHQ WKLQNLQJ EHFRPHV H̆ RUWOHVV WKH KDELW RI FULWLFDO WKLQNLQJ VORZO\ ZHDNHQV ´ Izzmier said. 7KLV LV SDUWLFXODUO\ FRQFHUQLQJ IRU a country striving to build a resilient, NQRZOHGJH EDVHG IXWXUH $ JHQHUDWLRQ WKDW relies too heavily on AI for answers may VWUXJJOH ZLWK DPELJXLW\ SUREOHP VROYLQJ DQG GHFLVLRQ PDNLQJ ZKHQ DQVZHUV DUH no longer clear. “What’s missing is control,” Izzmier added. “Parents don’t need to ban AI. But they do need to set boundaries. ‘What can be VKDUHG" +RZ ORQJ KDV LW EHHQ XVHG IRU" )RU ZKDW SXUSRVH"´ Just as screen time is guided, AI usage UHTXLUHV LQYROYHPHQW “With the right controls, AI can be EHQH¿FLDO ´ KH VDLG “Without them, children’s data and GLJLWDO KDELWV DUH VKDSHG ORQJ EHIRUH they’re mature enough to understand the FRQVHTXHQFHV ´

F OR most of human history, danger announced itself loudly. Wars were visible. Polluted rivers smelled. Unsafe cities felt unsafe. When something threatened our future, we could usually see it coming. A UWL¿FLDO LQWHOOLJHQFH $, RQ WKH RWKHU KDQG DUULYHV LQ D GL̆ HUHQW ZD\ ,W VSHDNV SROLWHO\ ,W DQVZHUV TXHVWLRQV SDWLHQWO\ ,W KHOSV RXU FKLOGUHQ ¿QLVK WKHLU KRPHZRUN EHIRUH GLQQHU ,W IHHOV KHOSIXO QHXWUDO HYHQ NLQG A QG WKDW LV SUHFLVHO\ ZK\ LWV PRVW VHULRXV GDQJHUV UHPDLQ ODUJHO\ XQVSRNHQ AI has woven itself into daily life so VHDPOHVVO\ WKDW TXHVWLRQLQJ LW FDQ IHHO unnecessary, even ungrateful. G RYHUQPHQWV HPEUDFH LW IRU Ḣ FLHQF\ &RPSDQLHV UHO\ RQ LW IRU SURGXFWLYLW\ 3DUHQWV ZHOFRPH LW DV DQ HGXFDWLRQDO VXS SRUW 7KH VKLIW KDV EHHQ TXLHW FRPIRUWDEOH and fast. But beneath that convenience lies a GHHSHU TXHVWLRQ WKDW VRFLHW\ KDV \HW WR FRQIURQW KRQHVWO\ :KDW KDSSHQV WR RXU future and our children’s future, if AI grows faster than our ability to control KRZ LW VKDSHV WUXVW SULYDF\ DQG KXPDQ WKLQNLQJ" 7KH VSHHG DW ZKLFK $, KDV EHHQ DGRSWHG LV XQSUHFHGHQWHG *HQHUDWLYH $, WRROV reached hundreds of millions of users within a few years, far faster than social PHGLD RU VPDUWSKRQHV GLG LQ WKHLU HDUO\ days. At the same time, research in cognitive science has long shown that when tools UHPRYH IULFWLRQ IURP WKLQNLQJ KXPDQV RIWHQ DGDSW E\ WKLQNLQJ OHVV QRW PRUH “ $, GRHVQ¶W MXVW KHOS SHRSOH ZRUN RU OHDUQ IDVWHU LW DOVR HQDEOHV DWWDFNHUV WR move faster,” said Izzmier Izzuddin, head RI WKH 6HFXULW\ 2SHUDWLRQV &HQWUH DW %DQN 6LPSDQDQ 1DVLRQDO “My concern is not the technology LWVHOI EXW KRZ UDSLGO\ SHRSOH EHJLQ WR WUXVW LW ZLWKRXW TXHVWLRQ ´ ,]]PLHU QRWHG IURP KLV H[SHULHQFH ZLWK UHDO ZRUOG F\EHU incidents. AI lowers barriers across the board. 7DVNV WKDW RQFH UHTXLUHG VNLOO H̆ RUW RU WHFKQLFDO H[SHUWLVH FDQ QRZ EH FRPSOHWHG instantly. While this accelerates learning, LW DOVR DFFHOHUDWHV PDQLSXODWLRQ “Almost anyone can now do things that XVHG WR UHTXLUH ODQJXDJH VNLOOV SHUVXD sion or technical ability with the right SURPSW 7KDW FKDQJHV WKH ULVN ODQGVFDSH FRPSOHWHO\ ´ KH H[SODLQHG %XW EH\RQG crime and security, there is a subtler cost. When answers arrive instantly, the habit RI ZUHVWOLQJ ZLWK XQFHUWDLQW\ ZHDNHQV :KHQ H[SODQDWLRQV DUH DOZD\V DYDLODEOH FXULRVLW\ EHFRPHV RSWLRQDO BY AQILAH NAJWA JAMALUDDIN

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