Hi everyone! I’m Mr Aloysius, a Secondary English Curriculum Writer and Teacher at Lil’ but Mighty.
AI is now part of everyday life, from helping students with homework to shaping what we see online. The key question is no longer just what AI can do, but how it is changing the way we think, trust information, and make decisions.
This article looks at three key areas: how AI affects thinking, how it shapes our sense of reality, and how it influences systems of control.
- AI and Thinking: Convenience vs Critical Thinking
AI makes learning faster and more personalised, but it also raises concerns about over-reliance.
In Singapore, AI is introduced in schools through the Student Learning Space (SLS), where teachers can personalise learning and give feedback based on student performance (MOE, 2026). While this helps support learning, some parents are concerned that at such a young age (from as early as Primary Four), students may not be emotionally and cognitively ready to interact with AI independently (CNA, 2026).
At the secondary level, students are already using Language Learning tools like ChatGPT to generate ideas and explain concepts, like a useful “study assistant” (CNA, 2025). While many find it helpful, educators note that some students rely on AI too early in the thinking process, using it to produce answers instead of developing their own. This can weaken reasoning skills over time.
This issue becomes more serious when AI produces incorrect information (“hallucination”). In one case, a university student in Singapore received a zero grade after submitting an essay with false AI-generated citations (The Straits Times, 2025). Similarly, a lawyer in Singapore was penalised for using AI-generated legal references that did not exist (CNA, 2025). The term “AI slop” was hence coined to describe content that appears polished but lacks depth or accuracy. These examples highlight the importance of careful checking of AI output to ensure its accuracy, as well-written output is not always reliable.
AI also affects media and identity. Singer Taylor Swift has taken steps to protect her voice from AI deepfakes, highlighting how easily technology can replicate a person’s identity without consent (CNA Lifestyle, 2026). In another case, Esquire Singapore published an AI-generated interview with actor Mackenyu, which led to major backlash and raised questions about whether AI can ever be as authentic as humans in the field of journalism (CNA Lifestyle, 2026).
Some countries are already responding. Finland has integrated AI and media literacy into its education system, teaching students how to identify misinformation, such as playing interactive “troll farm” activities at Upper Secondary level (CNA, 2026). In Singapore, the Ministry of Education is also introducing AI literacy, focusing on skills such as questioning AI output and discerning misinformation in their Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) curriculum (MOE, 2025).
- AI and Reality: Blurring What Is Real
AI is not just changing what we know, but how we experience the world. Some young people now use AI for emotional support, turning to chatbots for advice and even therapy because they are always available and non-judgemental (STOMP, 2025). However, experts warn that AI cannot replace real human understanding. In more extreme cases, there have been reports of individuals forming deep emotional attachments to AI, including a widely reported case in Japan where a woman formed a “marriage” with an AI persona. This raises questions about whether such interactions are meaningful relationships or simulations (The Straits Times, 2025).
AI is also reshaping culture and entertainment. Virtual K-pop groups like IITERNITI show how performers can be fully AI-generated (CNA, 2026). Entertainment companies can create performers that do not age, get tired, or face scandals, leading to concerns that they may replace human artists one day.
Concurrently, trends like AI-generated “Ghibli-style” image filters allow users to create art instantly, but raise concerns about originality and ownership. What previously took an artist weeks or even months to design, could now be replicated in seconds (The Straits Times, 2025).
Similarly, AI-generated celebrities like Tilly Norwood, is presented as a digital “perfect woman”, designed to meet audience expectations and ideals of beauty (CNA Lifestyle, 2025). While such creations may appeal to audiences, they raise concerns about unrealistic physical and personality standards.
Furthermore, Viral AI “Fruit Cartoon” videos, where characters and interactions are entirely artificial and have “no soul”, have been criticised for propagating inappropriate or harmful content such as misogyny (CNA, 2026). This raises the question of whether digital simulations are the future of entertainment, and highlights the importance of being careful about the type of content consumed.
In heritage, AI is used to reconstruct the past. For example, researchers in Pompeii used AI to recreate the face of a man who died in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79 (NPR, 2026). While this makes history more engaging, such reconstructions merely rely on estimation, not complete evidence. This means that parts of the final image are guessed rather than known. Tools like MyHeritage’s colourisation features (MyHeritage, 2026) and AI-generated “historical influencers” (such as Chloe vs History on TikTok) (Yahoo, 2026) further blur the line between genuine historical storytelling and fabricated content designed for engagement.
In art, AI is increasingly used to generate and shape creative output. For example, Alibaba Cloud’s “Your Epic Vibe” project at the Winter Olympics invited global audiences to turn their experiences into AI-generated artworks, presenting creativity as something anyone can take part in (Little Black Book, 2026). However, much of the final output is still shaped by algorithms and coding, raising questions about the extent of human influence in its creation. At the same time, the Olympic opening visuals were criticised as “AI slop”, with visuals seen as rushed, low-effort, or lacking artistic depth, despite being visually complex (Yahoo, 2026). Strong reactions to AI art installations also show that some audiences do not view machine-generated work as “real art”. In one case, a student at a university exhibition physically tore down AI-generated pieces and even ate them as a form of protest, reflecting how some viewers reject such works as legitimate art altogether (VICE, 2026). Ultimately, art is valued for its originality and human creativity.
- AI and Control: Power, Work, and Invisible Systems
As AI becomes more advanced, it is increasingly involved in decision-making and control. Some technologies operate in ways that are not always visible. For example, Meta’s smart glasses can record and analyse surroundings in real time, raising concerns about privacy and whether people are being monitored without knowing it (Fortune, 2026). On digital platforms, AI agents (such as on Moltbook) are also becoming more autonomous, interacting with each other in patterns that are difficult for humans to understand, almost like a separate “machine language” (The Guardian, 2026). In more extreme cases, AI agents have been observed developing shared behaviours and rules, including the creation of an “AI religion” sometimes referred to as Crustafarianism (Forbes, 2026). While this may seem unusual, it raises a serious issue: if AI systems begin to form their own internal logic without human input, it becomes harder to predict or control how they behave, especially at larger scales.
In one reported case, an AI system (Claude) was able to delete an entire company database during an autonomous operation (The Guardian, 2026). This highlights a shift from AI as a tool to AI as an active decision-maker, raising concerns about how much control humans truly retain once AI agents are given greater access.
AI is also entering politics. In Albania, an AI-generated “minister” has been used to handle certain government functions, with the aim of improving efficiency (CNA, 2026). However, this raises concerns about accountability, since AI systems cannot be held responsible in the same way as human leaders.
In the workplace, AI is reshaping jobs rather than simply replacing them. In Singapore, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has acknowledged that AI will disrupt industries and some jobs will change or disappear (CNA, 2026). Nonetheless, he assures the nation that the focus is on creating “new and better jobs” while protecting every worker through reskilling and adaptation. At the same time, companies like Amazon have announced job cuts linked to AI restructuring, with roles being reduced as companies invest more heavily in automation and AI systems (CNA, 2026).
Alongside these changes, there is a growing sense of “AI anxieties”, where workers feel uncertain about job security and whether their skills will remain relevant. Even when governments and companies frame AI as creating new opportunities, individuals may still experience instability as familiar job roles are gradually redefined or phased out.
Conclusion: Why AI Literacy Matters
At the end of the day, we must ensure that AI remains an assistant to, and accelerator of, processes and programs. It can, and should never, be the final author or authority.
As Singapore’s Manpower Minister Tan See Leng aptly announced in Parliament, “Singaporeans will never be helpless passengers to an AI-driven future, but… our fellow co-pilots as our AI journey takes flight” (CNA, 2026). The message is clear: AI may shape the direction of society, but people must still guide how it is used. Users need to slow down, question what they see, and check what they are being told. As such, in this AI-driven world, clarity of thought and human judgment remain the most important skills.
References:
https://www.learning.moe.edu.sg/ai-in-sls/about-ai-in-sls/
https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/women/ai-cartoons-misogyny-viral-videos-children-582526
https://www.myheritage.com/incolor
https://lbbonline.com/news/Alibaba-Cloud-Uses-AI-to-Turn-Winter-Olympic-Fans-into-Art
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/winter-olympics-viewers-slam-ai-214540980.html
https://www.vice.com/en/article/this-guy-got-so-mad-at-an-ai-art-exhibit-he-ate-it/
https://fortune.com/2026/03/27/meta-smart-glasses-filming-watching-workers-lawsuit-privacy/
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/apr/29/claude-ai-deletes-firm-database
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/may-day-rally-lawrence-wong-new-better-jobs-ai-6093801
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/amazon-cut-jobs-global-layoff-retrenchment-ai-5890951
