From Insight to Amnesia: How ChatGPT Cut Cognitive Load by 47% in MIT Study

Author(s): R. Thompson (PhD)

Originally published on Towards AI.

“The real danger of artificial intelligence isn’t superintelligence. It’s sub-intelligence: ours.”

As ChatGPT becomes more deeply woven into our personal and professional lives — helping us brainstorm, write, organize, respond, analyze, and even empathize — the boundary between augmentation and substitution becomes dangerously blurred. We have designed tools that finish our thoughts before we even finish typing them. Yet in doing so, we may be outsourcing the very things that define human intelligence. 🧠

The article discusses a study from MIT’s Media Lab revealing that reliance on tools like ChatGPT significantly diminishes cognitive function and neural connections. As dependency on AI tools increases, detrimental effects such as cognitive atrophy and reduced creativity are observed, particularly in students and young individuals. Classroom dynamics are also shifting, with students becoming editors rather than creators, raising concerns about long-term implications for critical thinking and comprehension. Ultimately, the article cautions against overreliance on AI and emphasizes the importance of maintaining cognitive skills and independent thought.

Read the full blog for free on Medium.

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Published via Towards AI