AI vs Attention: Are We Winning or Losing?
# AI vs Attention: Are We Winning or Losing?
Attention was the most valuable asset — until AI arrived. Suddenly everyone shifted focus toward understanding what AI can and can't do, attending conferences, testing tools, staying updated.
People proudly announce that users spend five hours a day on their AI tool. They celebrate this as success.
But something fundamental is going unnoticed.
The Question We're Not Asking
Is this tool helping you regain your attention, or is it borrowing your attention?
The promise of AI was liberation — automation of tedious tasks, faster workflows, more time for meaningful work. The reality, for many, looks different: another tab open, another tool to check, another interface demanding engagement.
We've traded one attention sink for another.
First Principles Thinking
Using first principles, our goal should be clear: preserve attention and gain dividends from it. Not spend attention and feel more scattered.
Every tool should be evaluated against this standard:
The Attention Dividend
The best AI tools are invisible. They work in the background, surface insights when needed, and disappear when they're not. They're not competing for your attention — they're multiplying it.
The worst AI tools are engaging. They pull you in with features, notifications, and interfaces designed to maximize time-on-tool. They measure success by how much of your day they consume.
A Simple Test
Ask yourself: After using this AI tool, do I have more attention for the things that matter? Or less?
The answer reveals whether you're winning or losing the attention battle.
Attention remains the most valuable asset. AI should protect it, not consume it.
Vaibhav skipped presentations and built real AI products.
Vaibhav Jain was part of the September 2025 cohort at Curious PM, alongside 13 other talented participants.