People can reduce their risk of age-related dementia by exercising their brains properly instead of constantly relying on Google, according to Professor Mohamed I. Elmasry, a leading Canadian academic.
Simple daily habits such as afternoon naps, memory ‘workouts,’ and avoiding smartphones can help promote healthy aging.
In his new book, iMind: Artificial and Real Intelligence, Professor Elmasry emphasizes the importance of nurturing our natural intelligence (RI) over artificial intelligence (AI).
He compares the human mind to smartphones, noting that while both have ‘hardware,’ ‘software,’ and ‘apps,’ the human brain is far more powerful and long-lasting with proper care.
Elmasry, an expert in microchip design and AI, was motivated to write the book after losing his brother-in-law to Alzheimer’s and his mother to another form of dementia.
He believes that while smart devices are getting more advanced, they can’t match the human brain’s capacity, storage, longevity, energy efficiency, or self-healing abilities.
“The useful life expectancy for current smartphones is around 10 years, while a healthy brain-mind inside a healthy human body can live for 100 years or longer,” he writes. “Your brain-mind is the highest-value asset you have. Increase its potential and longevity by caring for it early in life, keeping it and your body healthy so it can continue to develop.”
Professor Elmasry suggests that humans can develop and test their memories through ‘brain games’ or daily brain exercises. In contrast, you can’t exercise your smartphone’s memory to make it last longer or perform better.
In his book, Elmasry shares a story about his grandchildren needing to use their smartphones to name Cuba’s capital after spending a week there. This example illustrates how young people rely on AI instead of using their real intelligence (RI). “A healthy memory goes hand-in-hand with real intelligence. Our memory simply can’t reach its full potential without RI,” he adds.
Published by Routledge, iMind: Artificial and Real Intelligence covers the history of microchip design, machine learning, and AI, explaining how they work and how brain function connects the mind and memory. The book compares the capabilities of the human mind with smartphones and other AI systems, arguing that even advanced AI cannot match the human brain for speed, accuracy, storage capacity, and other functions.
Elmasry calls for policymakers to promote healthy aging, suggesting reforms like transforming bingo halls into active learning centers. He also offers practical tips to boost brain power and enhance RI, such as building ‘associative’ memory by connecting new information to what you already know, reading aloud, and engaging all your senses.
Other tips include integrating a true rest day into your week, reviewing your lifestyle early in life, adopting a healthy diet, and reducing or eliminating alcohol consumption to lower the risk of dementia.
Elmasry argues that healthy aging is as important as climate change but receives far less attention. By making simple lifestyle changes, people can improve their brain health and reduce their risk of dementia, ensuring a healthier future.
For more information about dementia, please see recent studies about brain food: nourishing your mind to outsmart dementia and results showing that re-evaluating the role of diet in dementia risk.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies about the power of healthy fats for brain health and results showing that Mediterranean diet may preserve brain volume in older adults.
