Slowing Down Is a Protocol for Human Discernment

The provided text, an article excerpt from Greg Twemlow, advocates for a structured approach to working with Artificial Intelligence, which the author names the Context & Critique Rule™ (C&C). This perpetual protocol is designed to maintain human discernment and authorship in the age of AI by requiring users to explicitly declare their goals and constraints (Context) before generating output and then rigorously verifying and refining that output (Critique). Twemlow introduces the Cognitive Pareto, suggesting that the majority of outcomes are shaped by a small, vital minority of high-stakes decisions (the 20%) that must not be outsourced to AI. The C&C Rule formalises the process of human reasoning and accountability, transforming critical thinking into a traceable and auditable method—culminating in a Decision Defence—to overcome the "AI Productivity Paradox" and ensure thinking remains visible and distinctly human. Read the article.About the Author - Greg Twemlow writes and teaches at the intersection of technology, education, and human judgment. He works with educators and businesses to make AI explainable and assessable in classrooms and boardrooms — to ensure AI users show their process and own their decisions. His cognition protocol, the Context & Critique Rule™, is built on a three-step process: Evidence → Cognition → Discernment — a bridge from what’s scattered to what’s chosen. Context & Critique → Accountable AI™. © 2025 Greg Twemlow. “Context & Critique → Accountable AI” and “Context & Critique Rule” are unregistered trademarks (™).