AI chatbots may make you dumber

MIT Media Lab researchers divided 54 students into three groups, had them write short essays, and measured their brain waves.

• The ChatGPT group showed significantly lower brain activity than the Google Search group and the non-tech group.
• The researchers explained that brain activity in the ChatGPT group dropped by up to 55% in certain regions.
• After submitting their essays, AI users struggled to quote the sentences they had written and felt a lower sense of ownership over the work.
• The search-only group maintained brain activity related to visual processing, but the ChatGPT group showed less activity related to creativity and information processing.

According to the article, other studies have also reported that generative AI can induce cognitive offloading, affecting critical thinking, memory retention, and problem-solving ability. A University of Pennsylvania study observed a tendency toward cognitive surrender, where some users accepted AI's answers with little to no review.

There are also concerns that when AI takes over tasks like diagnosis or prediction, users may not be able to perform at the same level without the tool. However, the long-term effects remain uncertain, and researchers suggest that AI should be used as a thought-stimulating tool rather than primarily as an answer machine.