AI, Dyslexia, and the Quiet Shift in How We See Ourselves

Photo by Growtika on Unsplash

AI is reshaping how we work — and how we think.For dyslexic thinkers, that shift is both exciting and confronting.

On one hand, AI removes so much friction:the spelling, the structuring, the sequencing, the planning — all the higher-effort parts of our day that quietly drain energy. Used well, it frees up space for creativity, strategy, and intuitive problem-solving.

But with that ease comes a deeper question:If something becomes easier, does it dull what makes us unique?

Recently, a dyslexic professional coach said to me:“AI has amplified my own voice in a more efficient way. It helps me do things I’ve always wanted to do.”

That line really stayed with me.

When I recently wrote a Parent Guidebook for Supporting Dyslexic Children, AI helped me check grammar, sequence ideas, and smooth the flow in a fraction of the time it would normally take. It meant I could focus on shaping ideas rather than wrestling with the mechanics. AI didn’t replace my thinking — it simply cleared the debris so I could get to the real work.

But even as I appreciated that support, I found myself questioning what it meant.

I read a research paper recently where the author proudly stated:

“No AI was used in the writing of this paper.”

And I felt it. Hard.

Because I knew I couldn’t produce that kind of writing without hours of effort and multiple support tools. So the question crept in:

Does relying on AI make me less than?

And then there’s the masking layer — the part many dyslexics never talk about.

My masking strategy has always been: never show you can’t do it, then go away and work harder, longer, and quieter to get it done. AI has made me unbelievably more productive. But is that a good thing if it helps me mask even more efficiently?

There’s also the moral discomfort.

When something that once took hours now takes minutes, it can feel almost like cheating — as if the ease makes the work less valid. Maybe that ease is something we’ve earned. Maybe this is what a level playing field finally feels like.

At the same time, I use AI as a thought partner.

I test ideas with it, explore possibilities, and ask it to challenge my assumptions. Sometimes it nails it. Sometimes it misses the relational, emotional nuance that dyslexic thinkers naturally see.

And maybe that’s where the opportunity really sits.

Not in replacing dyslexic thinking.

Not in masking it better.

But in expanding what’s possible when we combine intuitive, pattern-based, relational thinking with tools that take care of the cognitive load we never needed to carry.

This is the space Unlock Innovation is stepping into — the intersection where AI doesn’t dilute dyslexic creativity but amplifies it.

Because the real question isn’t:

“Will AI erase what makes dyslexic thinkers unique?"

The question is:

“How do we shape AI so dyslexic brilliance becomes easier to express, not harder?”

And I think the answer lies in being intentional, reflective, and honest about how we use it — and how it changes us.

(AI for grammar and flow, ideas – all Chris)

Chris Cole