AI is making life easier, but humans may pay the price

We have built a world designed to eliminate discomfort almost instantly, yet we are surprised to find ourselves feeling less vital. As artificial intelligence makes life easier and more seamless, we risk losing the very forms of friction that help keep us healthy: effort, challenge, learning and growth. The next public health crisis may not be stress, but stagnation. The answer is not more immediate pleasure, but progress. Progress does not mean simply moving forward, staying busy or becoming more productive. It means adapting, developing and expanding our abilities. Just as muscles grow stronger under strain, the brain becomes more flexible when it is challenged to solve problems, face uncertainty and explore unfamiliar ground. Progression means choosing challenges that gradually expand our physical, behavioral and cognitive capacities. Research from my laboratory and others suggests that consistently doing so can improve mood, strengthen resilience, support better health and may even slow some age-related processes. What is biological 'vitality'? Human beings thrive through continued growth, and the effects are biological as well as psychological. When we regularly take on manageable challenges, the body and brain adapt and become stronger. Scientists describe this capacity as vitality: the ability to remain flexible, resilient and better prepared to handle change, stress and adversity over time. When vitality is strong, the body’s stress-response systems and the brain’s mechanisms of adaptability function more effectively, supporting better long-term health. Over time, this vitality may also positively influence biological processes associated with aging and chronic illness, including persistent inflammation and the gradual decline of the body’s natural capacity to repair itself. This form of progression appears in three main areas of daily life. The body Aerobic exercise can improve mood, cognition and cardiovascular health while reducing inflammation and stress. But the benefits don't result from movement alone, but from gradually raising the level of difficulty by building endurance, strength or skill. As the body adapts, it develops lasting capacities that extend beyond the workout itself. Behavior Clinical psychology uses a treatment method known as behavioral activation, which helps people experiencing depression gradually return to meaningful activities rather than withdrawing and avoiding them. Even small actions, such as taking a short walk, calling a friend or completing a task, can break the cycle of avoidance and restore a sense of progress. Mood often improves only after action begins, not before. Setting a goal is not enough, nor is simply doing more. What truly restores energy and a sense of capability is the experience of making progress. Thought Our thoughts can progress as well. Thinking can become trapped in the same worries and subjects, or it can expand in new directions and imagine additional possibilities for the future. Our research shows that broader, more exploratory thinking, particularly when it follows new and uncertain paths, can improve mood, cognitive flexibility and creativity. By contrast, repeatedly dwelling on yesterday’s hurtful remark or imagining everything that might go wrong on an upcoming trip is linked to depression, anxiety and reduced vitality. When our thinking moves forward instead, it engages brain systems involved in learning, motivation and planning, while reinforcing the mechanisms that support resilience and long-term health. The trap of immediate pleasure Nature has equipped us with a system that rewards progress. Actions that move us forward tend to make us feel better, encouraging us to keep going. But reward alone is not enough. Some habits provide only immediate pleasure: scrolling through social media, eating sugar, drinking alcohol or consuming passive entertainment. They can improve mood briefly, but when they become our default response, they do not expand our abilities or strengthen our resilience. They soothe us, but they do not make us stronger. Progression is different. It requires effort, uncertainty and even discomfort, but it ultimately leaves us stronger, more resilient and more capable than before. This may explain why reaching a goal often brings only fleeting satisfaction, while sustained engagement with challenges is linked to lasting well-being and even a lower risk of mortality. The real benefit does not lie in the reward at the finish line, but in the progress accumulated along the way. How to begin: Start small In an era of burnout, sedentary living and mounting mental health challenges, progression can serve as a simple guide. There is no need to change your life overnight or compare yourself with others. Progress should be measured against your own starting point. Begin with small steps: walk a little farther than usual, add one more repetition to a workout, return to an activity you have been avoiding, learn a few words in a new language, read several pages of a demanding book, start a conversation with someone new or allow your thinking to explore an unfamiliar idea or perspective. The key is to choose a challenge that sits just beyond what feels easy and comfortable today. The question we should ask ourselves is not, ‘Does this feel good right now?’ but, ‘Is this moving me forward?’ Progress in the body, behavior and mind contributes directly to vitality. Over time, vitality protects what matters most: our ability to adapt, cope and continue living fully. Algorithms are designed to make life more efficient. Human beings, by contrast, are built to become stronger through effort. Prof. Moshe Bar is a brain researcher at Bar-Ilan University and Massachusetts General Hospital. His book Mindwandering was recently translated into Hebrew. His essay on the relationship between comfort and quality of life was recently published in The Wall Street Journal. On Wednesday, July 15, he will participate in ‘Trial and Error: A Conference on Art and Science,’ organized for the first time by Mifal HaPais in cooperation with the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot.