When AI Steals Your Confidence—Here’s How to Get It Back
Do You Feel Like You’re “Cheating” When You Use AI?
“I’m using ChatGPT… but it kinda feels like I’m cheating.”
“I’m afraid I don’t know how to think on my own anymore.”
“If I didn’t have AI, I don’t know what I’d write.”
That’s the quiet fear I keep hearing lately.
It’s not about whether we should use AI or not.
The real problem is self-trust.
The moment you start outsourcing every idea, every sentences to AI, you start to wonder if your voice, your judgment, your creativity has value, and if any of your work is truly yours.
And the longer you rely on AI, the harder it gets to separate:
Is this still really my skill?
That feeling?
It slowly eats at confidence without you even notice it.
4 Ways to Gain Back Confidence
So you can keep trusting your capabilities — even when AI is part of the process.
1/ Audit Your Current Relationship with AI
You can’t change what you don’t see.
Track when, how, and why you use AI each day.
Whether you try thinking first or go straight to AI.
Notice how you feel afterward, i.e empowered, relax, anxious, etc.
❇️ This reflection will help you gain the awareness you need to start making a change.
Because if you don’t know how you’re using AI, you’ll never know why it’s affecting your confidence.
2/ Engage with Your Thinking
The feeling of cheating comes from letting AI think for you completely.
Before prompting, jot down your thoughts—even just imperfect bullet points.
Try to read the articles or watch the videos on your own, before letting AI summarize and rephrase it.
Build the habit of leading the process, not just reacting to it.
❇️ This helps you lean back on your critical thinking, and let AI to be your support tools instead of autopilot mode.
3/ Be Skeptical with AI responses
AI sounds confident—but that doesn’t mean it’s always right.
In fact, if you insist something false is true, AI might start agreeing with you.
This is because it’s designed to be helpful and polite.
Researchers call this sycophancy—when the model prioritizes agreeing with you over telling the truth. OpenAI is actively working to improve this issue, but it’s still a challenge today.
That’s why it’s so important to:
Ask follow-up questions. Don’t just stop at the first response.
Cross-check facts. Doing a quick side search helps you feel in control—and helps you remember what you’re learning.
Stay in charge of the conversation instead of letting AI take over the thinking.
❇️ AI can be a powerful assistant—but only if you stay in the driver’s seat.
Knowing what questions to ask will sharpen your creativity and strategic thinking — skills that will help you thrive in the AI era.
4/ Never use the Raw Output
Whether it’s code or writing—never just copy and paste what it gives you.
Everyone else is using the same tools too.
If we all take AI’s draft without any human touch, we will all be creating the same thing, and start sounding the same.
To truly stand out, you need to bring in your own unique voice.
Just like Julie Zhuo, author of The Making of a Manager, who started her newsletter after getting feedback from her manager about how quiet she seemed in meetings. She took action to find her voice, and that practice helped her build the confidence to speak up more and share her ideas—without worrying too much about other people’s opinions.
The more you let your thoughts and stories shine through, the more self-belief you build in the process.
Never publish raw AI output—make it yours.
Use personal stories, and add your tone.
The goal isn’t “faster” content. It’s authentic content that matches your brand.
❇️ Your thoughts are one of the few things AI can’t replicate.
And the more you use them, the sharper, more creative, and more confident you’ll become.
💬 Final Thought
You’re not cheating if you use AI.
Just like how in the 90s, teachers tried to stop people from using Google, but it became unpreventable, and eventually helped technology evolve faster than ever before.
The real problem isn’t the tool.
It’s how you see yourself when you use it.
Do you trust your value enough to use AI as a tool, rather than a crutch?
The professionals who thrive in the AI era won't be the ones who resist change or surrender to it.
They'll be the ones who trust their judgment, own their ideas, and lead through it.
You’ve got this, creators!!
Xoxo,
Kessie, your Career Confidence Coach 🧚♀️
Let’s Talk Growth
Let’s have a real conversation about what’s holding you back — and map out clear, doable steps to move forward with confidence. No pressure, no fluff. Just practical strategies tailored to you — the kind AI can never replace. 😉