At Drillster, we often get the same question: “Why is memorization still important now that we have AI?” It’s a modern version of what we’ve heard for over a decade: Why bother learning and remembering things when you can just look it up on your phone?

The short answer? Learning is something you have to do yourself; AI can’t do it for you. And when the application of specific skills is time-critical, you do not have time to look up the information. If a nurse doesn’t know how to stop an arterial bleeding, or if a manager does not know how to de-escalate a conflict with a team member, or if you don’t know how to recognize a phishing email, then the consequences of the lack of knowledge and skills have dramatic consequences. 

AI Helps, But It Doesn’t Replace Learning

AI has changed the world of learning and development. It can create content quickly and even personalize it for each learner. That’s great, but reading, watching, or listening to content isn’t enough. Learning only happens when you put in the effort.

Sure, AI can give you feedback, help you practice role plays, and answer your questions. But it can’t learn for you. There’s no shortcut for building real skills, it takes time, practice, and repetition.

We remember where, not what

Back in 2011, Columbia University researcher Betsy Sparrow discovered something interesting: when people know they can find information online easily, they don’t bother to remember the facts themselves; they just remember where to find them.

Today, AI tools like ChatGPT do the same thing. We use them to find answers instead of storing knowledge in our own brains.

What research ways: we still need knowledge

Recently, a study by Barbara Oakley called “The Memory Paradox: Why Our Brains Need Knowledge in an Age of AI” really stood out. Here’s what she and her team found:

• As we rely more on digital tools and less on deep learning, IQ scores have started to level off and even drop over the past decades.
• Long-term memory is key for good thinking, quick decision-making, and using skills in new situations.
• Memory is not outdated. In fact, it’s more important than ever. AI should help our thinking, not replace it.
• Teachers and trainers should focus on techniques like repeated practice, building automatic skills, and storing knowledge and skills long-term.

Conclusion: real learning starts in the head

In a world full of smart tools, it’s easy to forget that real learning starts in your brain, not in the cloud. The paradox of memory in the AI age is more essential than ever. “While machines may surpass us in data retrieval, they cannot replace the human ability to synthesize, contextualize, and imagine. In a world awash with information, those who cultivate deep knowledge will have the clearest insights, the most original ideas, and the greatest ability to shape their own decisions and actions.”

The future doesn’t belong to those who know the most facts, but to those who understand the most deeply. And that understanding begins with memory