Dr Jacek Karaś from the Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Management, University of Lodz comments on the topic.
Is artificial intelligence making us "lazy"”?
Have we ever wondered what the "cost" of using generative AI as a "learning aid" is? Can seemingly useful tools lead to a decline in engagement, memory and a sense of agency? Artificial intelligence has become a permanent fixture in education, work and everyday life. Tools like ChatGPT facilitate writing, content generation, problem-solving and learning. However, is it really so? Does the "assistance" provided by AI come at the expense of human thinking? Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have conducted a multi-stage experiment in which they analysed brain activity during essay writing with the help of artificial intelligence (ChatGPT), traditional internet search engines and without any tools. The results are disturbing: participants using ChatGPT showed the lowest cognitive engagement, the lowest brain activity and the lowest content retention.
What did the study look like and what did the results show?
The study participants were divided into three groups:
- The first group wrote essays solely using ChatGPT (without using web browsers or other sources),
- The second group used only Google and open internet resources,
- The third group wrote completely off the top of their heads, without any external tools.
While writing, their brain activity was measured using a brainwave recording device (EEG). The quality of the produced content, the level of recall and the participants' sense of intellectual ownership (i.e., whether the participant considered the essay their own) were also analysed. The study revealed the lowest levels of brain activity in the group using ChatGPT. This group showed fewer active connections between individual brain regions, as well as limited cognitive engagement (including lower activity in the alpha and beta bands). At the same time, this group exhibited impaired memory. Eighty three % of those using ChatGPT were unable to quote a single sentence from an essay written just minutes earlier. In the group not using any tools, this percentage was only 11%. The group using ChatGPT also demonstrated the lowest sense of ownership and understanding of the content. The participants did not consider the essay "theirs," copied the text from ChatGPT without any extensive editing, and did not even remember what the text contained. The group using only their own brains remembered the content better and felt more ownership of the prepared text. Furthermore, those who used generative AI for several weeks and then had to write an essay without it showed significantly lower neural and cognitive activity. It was as if their brains had become "lazy" from the AI assistance. This dependence on AI can make it difficult to return to independent work.
Cognitive debt is the hidden cost of convenience
The study's authors also describe the phenomenon of cognitive debt. Using generative AI is quick and convenient, but in the long term, it can result in weakened analytical and reflective skills, decreased working memory and attention, and, in extreme cases, reduced intellectual agency. Although essays written with AI assistance were linguistically accurate and well-rated by teachers and algorithms, they often lacked depth and originality, their structure was less diverse and their content was more homogeneous. They were also more "mechanical," meaning they resembled standard ChatGPT responses to a given topic. It appears that ChatGPT facilitates writing, but it also limits deep information processing and reflection on the topic.
What happens when we "disconnect" AI?
In the final part of the study, the participants switched places. Some who had previously used generative AI (ChatGPT) wrote another text without it, while those in the group using only their brains were able to use ChatGPT. The results are not surprising. Those accustomed to using AI had difficulty activating deeper cognitive processes. Conversely, those who had previously written texts independently were able to integrate information better even when generative AI was available.
Conclusions
The study shows that excessive reliance on artificial intelligence and tools like ChatGPT in the learning process can do more harm than good. Prolonged reliance on AI can impair learning abilities, memory and even cognitive agency. The use of such tools should be accompanied by conscious reflection and critical thinking. Generative AI and tools like ChatGPT based on it cannot replace our brains. They should be used consciously and in moderation. Let's prioritise active learning, such as writing, content analysis and discussion. Let's limit automation where reflection and creativity are important.
Bibliography:: Kosmyna, N., Hauptmann, E., Yuan, Y. T., Situ, J., Liao, X.-H., Beresnitzky, A. V., Braunstein, I., i Maes, P. (2025). Your Brain on ChatGPT: Accumulation of Cognitive Debt when Using an AI Assistant for Essay Writing Task (preprint). https://doi.org/10.48550/ARXIV.2506.08872
Author: Dr Jacek Karaś
Dr Jacek Karaś is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Management, University of Lodz. He teaches courses related to the use of technology in management and managing technological change in organisations. He also conducts research on digital well-being and the perception of technology.
