In the age of AI, is it still useful to learn a musical instrument?

I stumbled over this post on X that said

"A Harvard student told me something I can't stop thinking about. When they go to the library, every single screen has CHATGPT open. Homework that used to take hours now takes minutes... AI made homework easier but made proving you deserve a job exponentially harder."

I couldn't stop thinking about the post either. My first thought was how performance majors are missing out on AI! Everyone else is breezing through their coursework with some sort of leg up, yet musicians are "slaving" away in the practice room, one bar at a time. But then it dawned on me - are we truly missing out? Or are we actually better off in some way? 

In this day an age, when AI can replace so many of our activities, is it still worth the time and effort to learn an instrument?

There has been a lot of science on how music shapes the brain. One finding that struck a chord with me is its effect on dementia. Studies show that musicians are 64% less likely to develop mild cognitive impairment or dementia. In one study, subjects who did intensive music playing and active listening slowed the loss of gray matter in the brain, prolonging its plasticity.

I've always reminded my students that, as much as I want to, there's no way I can reach into their arms and play for them - the intricate neural network must strengthen inside their own brains. 

In an era where "brain rot" is slowly emerging, preservation of brain function and plasticity seem more pressing than ever. Picking up an instrument is not the only way, but it sure is a great one to go about it!