Study: Excessive Use of Artificial Intelligence May Weaken Brain Functions

A recent study conducted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which spanned four months and followed regular users of ChatGPT, has revealed a possible link between prolonged use of AI tools and a decline in certain cognitive abilities.

The results showed that most participants who relied on ChatGPT while writing were unable to remember sentences they had written just minutes earlier, indicating a noticeable drop in short-term memory. The study also recorded a decrease in users’ neural activity, along with a gradual deterioration in cognitive performance.

Although the texts produced by participants with the help of ChatGPT were technically sound, the researchers described them as mechanical, lacking depth and expressiveness, and reflecting an almost total dependence on the AI system instead of personal thought.

The research team further observed a clear decline in the neurological, linguistic, and behavioral levels of the participants. While AI gave them the ability to complete tasks more quickly, it negatively affected their focus and memory and weakened their critical-thinking skills — a phenomenon akin to muscle weakening when not used.

The study concluded that the goal is not to discourage the use of artificial intelligence, but to encourage users to engage with it consciously, treating it as a supportive tool rather than a substitute for human mental abilities.