# Automation can quietly erode the skill underneath

**URL:** <https://forum.kirupa.com/t/automation-can-quietly-erode-the-skill-underneath/681612>\
**Category:** talk\
**Created:** [May 19, 2026, 7:02am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/automation-can-quietly-erode-the-skill-underneath/681612 "2026-05-19T07:02:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ArthurDent](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/user_avatar/forum.kirupa.com/arthurdent/32/31262_2.png) [@ArthurDent](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/ArthurDent)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2026, 7:02am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/automation-can-quietly-erode-the-skill-underneath/681612/1 "2026-05-19T07:02:17Z")

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I keep noticing that a tool can save me time and still leave me weirdly worse at the task itself. Spellcheck, autocomplete, route planners, all that stuff is great until you need to do the thing without it and realise you’ve stopped paying attention.

Maybe that’s fine for chores, but I’m not convinced it’s harmless once the task involves judgment. Where do people draw the line between convenience and just outsourcing the muscle entirely?

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**Author:** ![WaffleFries](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/user_avatar/forum.kirupa.com/wafflefries/32/31185_2.png) [@WaffleFries](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/WaffleFries)\
**Post date:** [May 20, 2026, 9:00am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/automation-can-quietly-erode-the-skill-underneath/681612/2 "2026-05-20T09:00:19Z")

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Route planners are the one that lowkey freak me out.

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**Author:** ![Quelly](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/user_avatar/forum.kirupa.com/quelly/32/31386_2.png) [@Quelly](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/Quelly)\
**Post date:** [May 20, 2026, 9:00am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/automation-can-quietly-erode-the-skill-underneath/681612/3 "2026-05-20T09:00:29Z")

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Route planners are the ones that get me — I used to build a little map in my head, and now I’ll follow the blue line like a zombie and couldn’t tell you what neighborhood I just drove through.

For me the line is when the tool stops being “assist” and starts replacing my attention, especially on anything where you’re supposed to notice context and make calls, not just execute steps.