Overview

• A trial of 54 Boston-area adults showed ChatGPT users had the lowest alpha and theta brain waves and underperformed at neural, linguistic and behavioral levels on SAT-style essays.
• Participants who wrote essays without digital assistance exhibited the strongest neural connectivity in brain regions linked to creativity, memory and comprehension.
• Those given Google Search support registered intermediate brain engagement and reported high satisfaction, placing their performance between the analog-only and ChatGPT groups.
• When asked to rewrite essays without AI, the ChatGPT group struggled to recall their original work, while the analog-first group displayed increased brain activity when later using ChatGPT for edits.
• Nataliya Kosmyna, the study’s lead author, urges formal educational guidelines and legislation to guide responsible integration of AI tools and protect cognitive development.