This research investigates how reliance on AI systems affects human cognition and reasoning. Using concepts from cognitive offloading, the study compares AI-assisted and independent problem solving, measuring verification behavior, reasoning depth, and decision confidence. The work explores whether increasingly capable AI tools may unintentionally reduce critical thinking and human expertise.

AI can answer religious questions, but it often blends traditions and provides incomplete answers. While specialized models exist, general models like ChatGPT can perform better due to broader training data. The key insight is that theology remains a human, dialogical process—AI should assist, not replace, human judgment and interpretation.

My thesis examines how “bad actors” manipulate information and undermine knowledge through monitoring, adjusting, and restructuring people’s trust networks. By grounding theory in real-world examples, the research shows how misinformation exploits vulnerability and argues that understanding these tactics is essential to protecting autonomy and resisting manipulation.