Reflecting on the parallels between past consumer abuses and today’s free AI offerings offers important lessons. The Nestlé baby formula case from the 1990s demonstrates how providing a free product can lead to devastating consequences when consumers are unaware of hidden risks—mothers were given formula samples that caused their natural breastfeeding to stop, leaving infants vulnerable to malnutrition and disease. Similarly, today's AI tools, often offered at no cost, present new challenges. While AI can be incredibly helpful for enhancing productivity and creativity, excessive dependency may reduce our ability to think independently, research thoroughly, and critically analyze information. This overreliance can cause cognitive decline, as some studies suggest, by outsourcing mental tasks AI would normally help us solve. Personal experience echoes this caution: initially, the convenience of free AI assistance was empowering, enabling faster responses and creative boosts. However, over time, I noticed my problem-solving skills and memory retention waned when I became too reliant on AI for even simple tasks. To counter this, I've consciously limited AI use by setting boundaries—using it only for complex problems while maintaining manual research and reflection habits for everyday decisions. Understanding that AI’s business models may include indirect costs—like data exploitation or gradual intellectual dependency—is crucial. Just as consumers in history didn’t foresee the long-term impact of free formula samples, modern users shouldn't ignore potential cognitive and societal costs of gratis AI. Ultimately, free AI must be approached with awareness. By balancing AI assistance with active learning and skepticism, we can harness its benefits without forfeiting autonomy, ensuring technology enriches rather than diminishes our human capacities.