Ep. 370: Deep Work in the Age of AI

Deep Questions with Cal Newport

Cal Newport

Education, Self-improvement, Technology

4.8 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 15 September 2025

⏱️ 71 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

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 study and argues that when it comes to efforts that require deep work, AI can sometimes make things worse. He then answers listener questions and then takes a closer look at an article claiming that the lack of Wi-Fi in a West Virginia school is making their students dumber. 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: Deep Work in the Age of AI [0:38] Can ChatGPT chats act as single purpose notebooks for projects? [26:16] When should I apply active recall? [29:34] Do you have insights into AI’s environmental impact? [31:16] What would you do if you left academia? [38:40] CASE STUDY: Using strategies to develop a Deep Life [43:04] CAL REACTS: Does lack of Wi-Fi make students dumber? [53:09W] Links: Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at calnewport.com/slowGet a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba?metr.org/blog/2025-07-10-early-2025-ai-experienced-os-dev-study/theatlantic.com/economy/archive/2025/09/ai-bubble-us-economy/684128/marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2025/08/the-school-without-wifi.htmleducationrecoveryscorecard.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/report_WV_5401140_pocahontas-county-schools.pdf Thanks to our Sponsors: This show is sponsored by BetterHelp:betterhelp.com/deepquestionscozyearth.com/deepshopify.com/deepmybodytutor.com Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Mark Miles for mastering. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	In recent weeks, there has been a lot of turmoil surrounding AI technology.
0:07.2	It increasingly seems now like those grand promises of superintelligence or AI systems automating
0:14.5	most of the economy.
0:15.5	These grand promises are probably not going to come true.
0:19.9	But what about the more practical promise? The one that AI
0:23.9	tools are going to make knowledge workers more productive, especially if you do something like
0:29.4	computer programming for which AI is well suited. That's still true, right? Well, the answer
0:36.0	turns out to be complicated. A recent study about
0:40.0	AI productivity yield a completely unexpected result. It created a glitch in the matrix, so to speak,
0:47.1	that leads to some deeper truths about this technology and its potential role in our work.
0:53.3	Today, I want to explore all of this.
0:55.3	If you're at all interested in how AI might impact your job and then your future, this is an
1:00.5	episode you won't want to miss.
1:03.2	As always, I'm Cal Newport, and this is Deep Questions.
1:19.2	Thank you. is deep questions. Today's episode, a glitch in the AI matrix.
1:26.7	All right, so I preview there was a study that caught a lot of people off guard.
1:31.0	I want to load this on the screen here for those who are watching instead of just listening.
1:36.3	This study came out in July of 2025.
1:40.3	It was produced by a nonprofit called METR.
1:42.8	That's often pronounced meter.
1:44.9	It's a nonprofit that does evaluation of AI and its capabilities.
1:48.5	They do high quality studies.
	...

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