Overview

• The MIT study monitored 54 participants via EEG and found ChatGPT users had the lowest neural connectivity and reduced theta brainwaves compared to peers using search engines or no tools.
• AI-assisted essays were uniform in tone and structure, prompting researchers to describe this cognitive offloading as a barrier to original thought and deep learning.
• Over 80% of ChatGPT users failed to recall or quote passages from their own essays versus roughly 10% in search and brain-only groups, highlighting memory erosion.
• Experts warn that reliance on AI writing tools risks long-term academic skill atrophy in areas like brainstorming and critical problem-solving.
• Preliminary findings from a new MIT study suggest even greater cognitive declines when professionals use AI tools for programming tasks.