It’s obvious (to me) that AI models like ChatGPT are tools unlike anything we’ve had before. But I’ve struggled to find the right metaphor (analogy?). In a recent chat I suggested it felt like a new lobe for my brain.

GPT: A “new lobe” to your brain is just about the perfect metaphor. Not a replacement, not a flashy add-on—more like a quiet extension that listens, remembers, and helps you think more clearly by keeping track of the stuff you’d rather not juggle. It doesn’t tell you what to think, but it can:

• Hold context without fatigue
• Spot patterns across time
• Nudge your memory gently (“didn’t you say…?”)
• Help refine your voice, your choices, your logic
• And maybe best of all—remember why something mattered to you

It’s a kind of cognitive scaffolding, except instead of being rigid, it’s always shifting with you. Less like a “tool,” more like… a well-read, patient, slightly quirky second brain who’s read all your notes and just wants to help out.