PMI AI White Paper Warns of “Cognitive Atrophy” and Attention Erosion, Calls for Focus on Human Cognition’s Evolution

Key Takeaways

• PMI has released a white paper calling for cross-sector dialogue on how human cognition will evolve—and how it should be governed—in the age of AI.
• It argues that as AI moves deeper into knowledge work, “human advantage” capabilities such as critical thinking, creativity and adaptability will become more important.
• The paper identifies two main risks: “cognitive atrophy,” as generative AI substitutes for thinking processes, and “attention erosion,” driven by information feeds and synthetic content.
• It warns that a “cognitive divide” could widen and that deepfakes and other synthetic media will intensify pressures on trust and verification.

2Firsts, January 21, 2026

According to Business Wire, Philip Morris International (PMI) released a white paper on Jan. 20 in Stamford, Connecticut, titled Human Cognition: The Next Frontier? (Chinese: Human Cognition: The Next Frontier?), calling for cross-sector discussion on “how human cognitive abilities will evolve” as artificial intelligence continues to reshape the way work, society and economies function.

The white paper argues that as AI increasingly automates routine tasks and expands into knowledge-work processes, capabilities such as critical thinking, creativity and adaptability will become more important. It says organizations need to reassess how to develop and protect human cognitive abilities.

The document also outlines what it describes as “accelerating cognitive risks.” It defines “cognitive atrophy” as the substitution effect of generative AI in ideation, drafting and analysis, which could reduce deep thinking and independent judgment built through sustained mental effort. It describes “attention erosion” as the impact of always-on environments—notifications, information feeds, dashboards and synthetic content—that can fragment attention and weaken sustained focus and complex reasoning.

In addition, the paper raises the prospect of an “emerging cognitive divide,” arguing that disparities in access to time, focus and advanced learning resources may widen and become entrenched as a new form of inequality in the AI era. It also warns that the growth of synthetic media and deepfakes will create “trust and verification challenges,” requiring new habits of information verification and stronger digital skepticism.

Cover image source: Business Wire