Using generative AI can harm cognitive ability

Multiple independent studies and expert commentaries report that generative AI use is associated with reduced cognitive engagement and potential declines in cognitive abilities. An MIT Media Lab study found lower brain activity and poorer essay performance among ChatGPT users compared with Google Search or unaided participants, suggesting erosion of critical‑thinking skills (“ChatGPT May Be Eroding Critical Thinking Skills, According to a New MIT Study”). A BBC News article cites the same MIT findings and additional research from Carnegie Mellon indicating inhibited critical engagement and long‑term over‑reliance (“Are AI Prompts Damaging Your Thinking Skills?”). A review in Polytechnique Insights summarizes research showing decreased memory, attention, and creativity when users rely on ChatGPT, labeling it a risk of cognitive atrophy (“Generative AI: the risk of cognitive atrophy”). An arXiv synthesis highlights how over‑reliance can bypass essential cognitive processes and reduce metacognitive activity (“Protecting Human Cognition in the Age of AI”). Survey data from Microsoft Research indicate that higher confidence in generative AI correlates with lower critical‑thinking effort among knowledge workers (“The Impact of Generative AI on Critical Thinking: Self-Reported Reductions in Cognitive Effort and Confidence Effects From a Survey of Knowledge Workers”). While a trial protocol outlines plans to measure cognitive effort, it does not yet provide results (“Effects of generative artificial intelligence on cognitive effort and task performance: study protocol for a randomized controlled experiment among college students”). Overall, the preponderance of independent evidence points to a plausible risk that generative AI can harm cognitive ability, supporting the claim.