Is excessive use of AI weakening our brain?

 Is excessive use of AI weakening our brain?

Massachusetts Institute of Technology conducted tests to find out how the use of AI is affecting our brain.

What was the last thing you asked an AI chatbot to do?

Perhaps you have asked him to prepare an outline for an essay to answer a difficult question. Or you may have been asked to do an in-depth analysis of a large data set or to check that your cover letter matches the job description.

Some experts worry that by outsourcing such tasks to AI, our brains work less hard.

He believes that this can also harm our critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.

Earlier this year, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology published a study. It was found that people who used Chat GPT to write essays had less brain network activity related to cognitive processes.

The researchers said their study raises 'serious concerns about the potential decline in learning abilities'.

A total of 54 participants were included in this study, who were selected from MIT and surrounding universities.

The participants' brain activities were recorded using electroencephalography (EEG). During this procedure, electrodes are placed on the scalp.

The participants asked AI to summarize essay questions, find sources, and improve language and style.

AI was also used to generate ideas and organize them, but some users believed that AI was not very effective in this matter.

'AI makes finding answers much easier'

In a separate study, Carnegie Mellon University and Microsoft (which operates Copilot) found that if people become overly dependent on AI, their problem-solving abilities may deteriorate.

Researchers surveyed 319 white-collar employees who used AI tools in their work at least once a week.

They were asked how they adopt critical thinking while using AI.

In the study, 900 different tasks given to AI were analyzed.

These included everything from analyzing data for new findings to checking whether a work meets the set standards or not.

According to the study, the extent to which people had confidence in the capabilities of AI, the more they used less critical thinking.

It said, "While generative AI can increase work efficiency, it can also hinder deep thinking related to work, and in the long run, excessive reliance on the tool can reduce problem-solving abilities."

A similar study was also conducted on school children in Britain, which was published by Oxford University Press in October.

This study found that six out of every ten students felt that AI had a negative impact on their abilities related to school work.

In such a situation, amidst the rapidly increasing use of AI, the question is whether our cognitive abilities are in danger of weakening?

However, this is not necessarily the case, says Dr. Alexandra Tomescu, a generative AI expert at Oxford University Press and who works on school surveys.

He says, “Our study shows that nine out of ten students say that AI has improved at least one of their abilities related to school work. Be it problem solving ability, creativity or revision.

"But at the same time, about a quarter of students say that the use of AI made their work much easier. That means the issue is quite nuanced and complex."

Dr. Tomescu also says that many students want more guidance on the proper use of AI.

According to Sam Altman, head of Chat GPT, the number of its users every week is more than 80 crores. Chat GPT has released a set of 100 prompts for students to make better use of this technology.

But Professor Wayne Holmes, who researches artificial intelligence and education at University College London, believes that this is not enough.

They want to understand the impact of AI tools on students' learning before encouraging them to use them.

More extensive academic research should be done on the impact of NE.

Pro. "To date, there is no large-scale independent evidence to support the effectiveness of these tools in education, their safety, or even that they have a positive impact," says Holmes.

Better results, but poorer learning?

oxford university

Image captionThe University of Oxford began providing Chat GPT for free to students and staff in September 2025.

Professor Wayne Holmes points to research that talks about cognitive atrophy. That is, a situation when after using AI, a person's abilities and skills may gradually weaken.

He says that this problem has been seen with those radiologists who use AI tools to understand X-rays before examining patients.

A study published last year by Harvard Medical School found that with the help of AI, the performance of some doctors improved, but the performance of some also weakened.

Researchers could not completely understand why this happened?

The study authors called for further research to understand how humans and AI work with each other, so that methods can be developed that enhance human performance rather than harm it.

Professor Holmes fears that school or university students may become overly dependent on AI for their work. Due to this, they will not be able to develop the basic skills that come from education.

A student's essay may score better marks with the help of AI, but the question is, are students actually developing adequate understanding?

"Their output is better, but their learning is actually getting worse," says Professor Holmes.

What its officials say on the use of Chat GPT

Sam Altman, head of Chat GPT (Image source: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Image captionChat GPT has released a set of 100 prompts for students to make better use of this technology.

At the same time, Jayna Devani, head of international education at OpenAI, the company that owns Chat GPT, says that the company is "fully aware of this debate." He also played a role in making the agreement with Oxford University.

"We absolutely do not believe that students should use Chat GPT to outsource their work," she tells the BBC.

According to him, Chat GPT should be best used as a tutor, not just a direct response tool.

She gives an example of how a student can ask questions and answers to a Chat GPT through the study mode setting.

The student enters the question which she is having difficulty understanding, and the chatbot helps in understanding the question by breaking it into parts.

She gives another example. Giving assignments late at night on a subject which the student is not able to fully understand.

"If you have a presentation to give and it's midnight, you wouldn't email your [university] tutor and ask for help," she says.

“I believe that if Chat GPT is used in a targeted and thoughtful manner, it has the potential to accelerate the learning process.”

But Professor Wayne Holmes emphasizes that any student using AI tools must understand how their reasoning works and how the companies that provide them handle the data.

They say that the results obtained from AI should always be checked.

“This is not just a new version of the calculator,” he says, pointing to the far-reaching capabilities and impacts of AI.

He says, “I never tell my students not to use AI. But I definitely say that we have to understand all the things related to this so that you can take decisions wisely.