A new study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology suggests that heavy reliance on large language models like ChatGPT reduces brain activity and weakens cognitive performance. The research, based on experiments with a small group of volunteers, found that using AI to complete tasks not only lowers immediate mental effort but also affects how the brain functions in future work.
Participants were divided into three groups: one used only their own knowledge, another used Google Search, and the third relied on ChatGPT. Brain activity was monitored with EEG scans during essay-writing tasks. The results showed that the unaided group displayed the highest neural engagement, the search engine group showed less, and the AI-assisted group the least. The researchers noted that when more technological support was provided, the brain worked less hard.
The study also measured “ownership,” the ability of participants to recall or summarize what they had written. Here too, performance declined with more AI support. Students relying on ChatGPT struggled to remember their own work and tended to produce essays that were less varied and more uniform than those written without assistance.
Longer-term tests showed that participants who first worked without AI and later used it benefited from stronger memory recall and broader brain re-engagement. In contrast, those who started with AI and then worked without it showed weaker neural connectivity and struggled with cognitive tasks. This suggests that using AI after independent thinking may enhance performance, while depending on it from the outset could harm long-term cognitive abilities.
The researchers acknowledged that the study involved only a few dozen subjects, limiting its statistical weight. Still, they warn that as AI becomes more common in schools and workplaces, reliance on it as a substitute for human thought could reduce learning skills and critical thinking.
The authors conclude that while AI can add value when used after independent analysis, starting with it may undermine human ability to think, recall, and summarize effectively. They call for further studies to understand the long-term impact of widespread AI use before it is accepted as a net positive for human learning and cognition.
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