Ep. 359: Should We Fear Cognitive Debt?

Ep. 359: Should We Fear Cognitive Debt?

A blockbuster new study out of MIT takes a closer look at the impact of writing with the help of AI. In today’s episode, Cal breaks down this paper with the help of author Brad Stulberg (who made waves online recently with his reaction to its findings), picking apart the role of AI in deep work activities. Cal then answers listeners questions, and presents a twist on his typical final segment in which he now describes what he is not reading this week, which provides him a thinly-concealed excuse to rant about AI coverage.

Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo

Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia

Deep Dive: Should We Fear Cognitive Debt? [2:15]

  • Can AI be creative? [44:35]
  • What’s the smallest change I can make to address my disorganization? [48:31]
  • How do I find time for personal projects? [53:12]
  • How should I choose my next internship? [1:06:08]
  • How did you develop your goal-setting philosophy? [1:11:46]

CALL: Inbox Zero and Notion [1:14:50]

CASE STUDY: A Thoreau Schedule [1:24:01]

WHAT I’M (NOT) READ: AI CEO’s hot takes on work [1:32:49]

Links:

Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at calnewport.com/slow
Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/
Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba?
fortune.com/2025/06/20/openai-ceo-sam-altman-ai-phds-entry-level-corporate-job-cuts-what-is-left-gen-z-college-gradautes/

Thanks to our Sponsors:

shipstation.com/deep
smalls.com (Use code “DEEP”)
notion.com/cal
harrys.com/deep

Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Mark Miles for mastering.


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Ep. 375: Did OpenAI Just Kill Social Media?

Ep. 375: Did OpenAI Just Kill Social Media?

Ep. 375: Did OpenAI Just Kill Social Media?OpenAI has been making waves recently with their release of their Sora 2 video generation model, which they have launched alongside a TikTok-style social med...

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Ep. 374: This is Your Brain on Phones

Ep. 374: This is Your Brain on Phones

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Ep. 373: The Internet’s Best Advice for Reinventing Your Life

Ep. 373: The Internet’s Best Advice for Reinventing Your Life

In 2023, I published an episode about resetting your life that became one of my most popular. In the years since, multiple major podcasters and YouTubers have done their own videos on the same theme. ...

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Ep. 372: Decoding TikTok’s Algorithm

Ep. 372: Decoding TikTok’s Algorithm

Last week, it was announced that Oracle would take over operation of TikTok in the US. One of the primary reasons proposed for this deal is that it was in national interests for us to take over contro...

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IN-DEPTH: Focus like a Nobel Prize Winner (w/ Brian Keating)

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In this episode of IN-DEPTH, Cal is joined by Dr. Brian Keating, the Chancellor’s Distinguished Professor of Physics at UCSD, and one of the most prolific popularizers of science around (you may have ...

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Ep. 371: Is it Finally Time to Leave Social Media?

Ep. 371: Is it Finally Time to Leave Social Media?

We seem to be stuck in a purgatory when it comes to the worst of the social media platforms. We know they’re not great, but it’s hard to muster enough motivation to bother to leave. In today’s episode...

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Ep. 370: Deep Work in the Age of AI

Ep. 370: Deep Work in the Age of AI

A recent study called into question a core assumption about the generative AI revolution: that these tools, at the very least, will make us more productive. In this episode, Cal dives deep into the st...

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Ep. 369: Why Are We Getting Dumber? A Debate.

Ep. 369: Why Are We Getting Dumber? A Debate.

IQ scores had been steadily rising since WWII. But, more recently, this phenomenon has stopped.  Since 2010, we’ve actually been getting dumber. In this episode, Cal gets into the common theories for ...

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