The Computer & Technology Network. Working to make computers and technology accessible to all. I develop guides and other content to achieve my goal. www.ctnet.co.uk
You might be asking yourself,"Why the red lines? Why can't AI write literature notes?"
Because that's where the learning happens.
When you force yourself to write a note in your own words, you're doing the cognitive work that transfers knowledge into long-term memory. Let AI do that step and you've outsourced the learning itself.
The framework exists to help you use AI's power whilst keeping the friction that makes thinking stick.
Practical workflow tip from Monday's AI PKM framework post:
When I have an insightful AI conversation on my tablet, I save it to my vault's ZZZZ_AINotes folder for future reference.
Saturday mornings I review these notes. Most get archived. A few become fleeting notes and enter my normal Zettelkasten processing.
This keeps AI insights quarantined until I've critically evaluated and rewritten them in my own words.
Full framework: https://www.ctnet.co.uk/ai-knowledge-frameworks-level-1-2/
Yesterday's question that's still sitting with me:
How do you know if you're using AI to *augment* your thinking vs *offload* it?
Warning signs I'm watching for in my quarterly review:
- Rarely modifying AI-generated content
- Can't remember disagreeing with AI output
- Notes starting to sound generic/AI-like
- Feeling uncomfortable without AI assistance
What warning signs would you add?
I want my AI to push back on me. To challenge my thinking, not just validate it.
That's why "give honest and constructive feedback" is in my personal preferences for every AI model I use regularly.
In today's post, I explain how I use AI as a thinking partner (Level 2) and for critical refinement (Level 1) without letting it do my thinking for me.
The full AI PKM framework: https://www.ctnet.co.uk/ai-knowledge-frameworks-level-1-2/
New on CTNET: AI PKM Framework Levels 1-2
Level 1 = Critical Refinement
Use AI summaries as starting points, never endpoints. Still engage with source material and write your own notes.
Level 2 = Socratic Interrogation
AI as thinking partner, not answer machine. Challenge assumptions, explore alternatives.
The red lines from Level 0 still apply.
Hot take: AI summaries are making us worse thinkers.
But they don't have to.
Tomorrow I'm sharing Levels 1-2 of my AI PKM framework—how to use AI for critical refinement and Socratic thinking without cognitive offloading.
The trick? Keeping the right friction in place so you still do the actual thinking.
5pm GMT tomorrow 🧠
This readiness assessment bridges Level 0 (safe AI boundaries for beginners) and Levels 1 & 2 (sophisticated integration for experienced practitioners).
Why separate them? Because the cognitive skills needed to use advanced AI safely with PKM are the very skills that inappropriate AI use can prevent from developing.
It's not about time spent at Level 0—it's about skills embedded. Read the full assessment:
https://www.ctnet.co.uk/how-will-you-know-your-pkm-is-ready-for-ai/
One positive indicator you're ready for advanced AI integration: friction in your PKM process feels productive, not frustrating.
This seems counterintuitive in our efficiency-obsessed culture. But that friction—struggling to articulate ideas, searching for connections, rewriting until it clicks—that's where learning happens.
Your Zettelkasten is a gym for cognitive workout. The resistance is the point.
Readiness checklist for advancing from Level 0 of my AI Knowledge Framework:
✓ I write literature notes independently
✓ I write permanent notes in my own words
✓ I make connections before consulting AI
✓ I understand why friction is valuable
✓ I can distinguish AI assistance from cognitive offloading
✓ The Zettelkasten process feels embedded, not forced
If you can honestly tick each point, you're ready. If not, Level 0 needs more time—and that's valuable time.
@CTNET the friction is indeed very important.
The three red lines I never cross with AI in my Zettelkasten:
1. I write my own literature notes
2. I write permanent notes in my own words
3. I link my own notes
Why? Because these are where understanding deepens, connections emerge, and cognitive abilities develop.
Let AI add to your external schema and you're letting your cognitive abilities decline. Like asking a robot to go to the gym for you.
The framework is descriptive, not prescriptive. Discover more about the creative framework at https://www.ctnet.co.uk/unleashing-your-creative-potential-the-four-stages-of-creativity/
Writing about creativity demonstrated the four stages:
Preparation: Researching notes, AI conversations, layout
Incubation: Stepping away overnight
Illumination: Insights whilst writing (not before!)
Verification: Editing to test if ideas worked
The creative process is fractal—applies at every scale.
Made me more patient. Not everything is linear. Some projects need incubation. Some skip stages.
Warning signs your PKM isn't ready for advanced AI integration:
• Uncomfortable writing without AI nearby
• Notes starting to sound generic
• Accepting AI suggestions without questioning
• Relying on AI to find connections
• Skipping the thinking process to reach "answers"
These signs matter at every level—not just when considering progression. That's why I review my AI use quarterly. Cognitive offloading is an ever-present temptation.
Before moving to advanced AI integration with your PKM, ask: have you built the foundation?
Can you write permanent notes independently? Do you make connections before consulting AI? Do you understand why friction is valuable in learning?
These aren't gatekeeping questions—they're protecting the cognitive work that makes your Zettelkasten a thinking tool, not just a database.
New post: How do you know when your PKM is ready for AI?
The expertise paradox: you need cognitive skills to use AI effectively with PKM, but AI can undermine those very skills during development.
I've built five diagnostic questions and a readiness checklist to help you assess honestly whether you're ready for advanced AI integration—or need more time building foundations.
https://www.ctnet.co.uk/how-will-you-know-your-pkm-is-ready-for-ai/
#PKM #Zettelkasten #KnowledgeManagement #AI #PersonalKnowledgeManagement
Before moving to advanced AI integration with your PKM, ask: have you built the foundation?
Can you write permanent notes independently? Do you make connections before consulting AI? Do you understand why friction is valuable in learning?
These aren't gatekeeping questions—they're protecting the cognitive work that makes your Zettelkasten a thinking tool, not just a database.
One week since publishing Level 0 of my AI Knowledge Framework.
The response has shown me how many people are wrestling with the same question: how do we use AI without undermining the cognitive benefits of our PKM systems?
Level 0 isn't the complete answer - it's the foundation. The safe zone for beginners. The protection you need whilst building expertise.
Levels 1 and 2 are coming, but only when you're ready.
https://www.ctnet.co.uk/introduction-to-my-ai-knowledge-framework-level-0/
Question for anyone building a Zettelkasten or PKM system:
What's the most tedious administrative task you face that you'd love to automate?
I'm collecting examples of what legitimately sits at Level 0 - the safe delegation zone where AI can help without undermining your cognitive development.
Tag suggestions? Formatting? Index maintenance? What drains your energy without building understanding?
The best analogy I've found for the AI cognitive ability paradox:
Asking AI to do your cognitive work is like asking a robot to go to the gym for you. Your muscles don't benefit. You don't get stronger.
When AI writes your literature notes, your brain isn't doing the synthesis. When AI creates your permanent notes, you're not building understanding. When AI suggests all your connections, you're not developing pattern recognition.
Over time, you lose the ability to do that cognitive work.
