TECH NEWS – A recent study from MIT has produced some surprising results about the impact of ChatGPT and other AI tools on users’ cognitive functions.

As tech companies continue to invest heavily in artificial intelligence, they are focusing on refining AI tools and systems to become increasingly sophisticated. Chatbots are now more intuitive and smarter than ever, mimicking human interaction and thought patterns with growing accuracy. But as tools like ChatGPT gain power, users are becoming increasingly dependent on them for both everyday tasks and academic work. Now, studies suggest that while AI becomes smarter, people might actually be getting mentally lazier.

Many rely on AI tools for learning, research, or simply to overcome mental hurdles. While ChatGPT and similar systems are undeniably intelligent, an MIT study has shed light on how overuse of these tools could be degrading users’ cognitive abilities.

In the experiment, participants were split into three groups: one used ChatGPT, another used a search engine, and the third had no assistance. Brain activity during essay writing was tracked using ECG scans. The essays were later assessed by both AI-based systems and human reviewers. The group that relied on ChatGPT showed the lowest levels of brain activity, especially in areas associated with memory and cognitive engagement. Participants also had difficulty recalling what they had written.

In contrast, those who did not rely on technology retained more information, showed higher mental engagement, and were able to perform more in-depth cognitive tasks. In a follow-up session, the ChatGPT group was asked to write an essay without using the tool. The results were even more concerning: their performance declined even further, falling behind the other groups.

The researchers coined the term “cognitive debt” to describe this decline – a condition caused by repeated dependence on ChatGPT and similar AI tools, ultimately impairing critical thinking and eroding basic learning skills.

Source: WCCFTech, MIT