A new MIT study has found that regular use of Artificial Intelligence tools such ChatGPT, may lower brain activity and diminish critical thinking, raising concerns about their growing role in education and professional life.
Frequent use of large language models such as ChatGPT could reduce cognitive activity and impair critical thinking skills, according to a new study by neuroscientists and AI researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
The study, conducted at MIT’s Media Lab, examined how digital writing tools influence brain function by monitoring 54 volunteers over a series of essay-writing sessions. Participants were split into three groups: one used ChatGPT, another relied on Google Search, and a third wrote independently without any digital tools. Throughout the sessions, participants wore EEG monitors (Electroencephalogram) to track brain activity and cognitive engagement.
The findings revealed that those who wrote without any assistance demonstrated the highest levels of brain activity and neural connectivity, especially in regions associated with attention and critical thinking. Google Search users showed moderate engagement, while ChatGPT users exhibited the lowest levels of cognitive workload and neural cohesion.
In a follow-up session conducted several months later, participants switched roles. Those who had previously used ChatGPT continued to show reduced brain activity and struggled with memory recall. Conversely, those who initially wrote unaided displayed improved cognitive performance and better retention of their own written content.
Researchers also noted psychological effects. ChatGPT users reported feeling less ownership of their writing and had difficulty recalling phrases they had composed. Teachers assessing the essays found the AI-assisted texts to be more formulaic and lacking in personal voice.
The study warns that while language models can be helpful, especially for efficiency, overreliance on them—particularly in educational settings—could erode independent thinking and analytical skills over time.
Türkiye will provide Syria with weapons systems, logistics and military training under a new cooperation deal aimed at bolstering Syrian state forces...
Kyiv has received $1.5 billion in commitments from European partners to purchase U.S.-made weapons, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Th...
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Thursday (14 August) that he has ordered authorities to conduct a swift and thorough investigation into...
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has provided a €500 million loan (almost $590 million) to the national gas company Nafto...
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London on Thursday, a day before U.S. President Donald Trump ...
Türkiye will provide Syria with weapons systems, logistics and military training under a new cooperation deal aimed at bolstering Syrian state forces and territorial integrity, a Turkish Defence Ministry source said on Thursday.
Kyiv has received $1.5 billion in commitments from European partners to purchase U.S.-made weapons, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday, describing the NATO mechanism enabling the deal as one that “truly strengthens our defence.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London on Thursday, a day before U.S. President Donald Trump holds talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
A major forest fire in northern Morocco is now largely under control, though efforts to fully extinguish it are still underway, the national water and forests agency (ANEF) said on Wednesday.
The world’s biggest dance music festival faces an unexpected setback as a fire destroys its main stage, prompting a last-minute response from organisers determined to keep the party alive in Boom, Belgium.
A powerful eruption at Japan’s Shinmoedake volcano sent an ash plume more than 3,000 metres high on Sunday morning, prompting safety warnings from authorities.
According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the Oaxaca region of Mexico on Saturday.
A resumption of Iraq’s Kurdish oil exports is not expected in the near term, sources familiar with the matter said on Friday, despite an announcement by Iraq’s federal government a day earlier stating that shipments would resume immediately.
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck 56 kilometres east of Gorgan in northern Iran early Sunday morning, according to preliminary seismic data.
Kyiv has received $1.5 billion in commitments from European partners to purchase U.S.-made weapons, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday, describing the NATO mechanism enabling the deal as one that “truly strengthens our defence.”
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Thursday (14 August) that he has ordered authorities to conduct a swift and thorough investigation into an attack on a former minister's son that took place a day earlier.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London on Thursday, a day before U.S. President Donald Trump holds talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
A major forest fire in northern Morocco is now largely under control, though efforts to fully extinguish it are still underway, the national water and forests agency (ANEF) said on Wednesday.
Supporters of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) threw flares and firecrackers at anti-government protesters in Novi Sad on Wednesday evening, according to Reuters, prompting police to intervene to end the standoff, a major escalation of nine-month-long protests in Serbia.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment