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The findings showed that people who didn’t use any assistance and wrote the essay using their minds possessed the strongest and most complex neural connectivity.
The study was done on 54 people from Boston. (Representative Image)
Artificial Intelligence has transformed the way we work and learn, especially since the launch of ChatGPT, one of the most widely used AI chatbots in the world. But an important question remains: Is ChatGPT making us think less than we used to?
To explore this, researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), in partnership with Wellesley College and MassArt, conducted a study to understand how tools like ChatGPT are impacting cognitive engagement and learning among young people.
The study observed 54 individuals from the Boston area, aged between 18 and 39, for several months. Led by researcher Nataliya Kosmyna, participants were asked to write an SAT-style essay. They were divided into three groups—one used ChatGPT, another used Google Search and the last group wrote the essay without any digital help.
The results revealed that those who completed the essay without any assistance showed the highest levels of brain activity. Their neural connectivity was stronger and more complex, particularly in regions of the brain associated with creativity, memory and comprehension.
Those who used Google Search showed a medium level of brain activity and were also satisfied with their work. However, those who used ChatGPT showed the lowest levels of brain engagement. According to researchers, these people often ended up copying and pasting answers over time and performed worse in thinking and writing tasks.
Ms Kosmyna said, “What really motivated me to put it out now before waiting for a full peer review is that I am afraid in 6–8 months, there will be some policymaker who decides, ‘let’s do GPT kindergarten.’ I think that would be absolutely bad and detrimental,” adding that developing brains are at a higher risk.
Other than this, people who had earlier used ChatGPT were asked to edit one of their drafts without the use of the AI tool. The findings showed that they had a hard time remembering what they had written and their brains also showed less activity during their task.
However, the group that wrote the essay using only their brains at first and then used ChatGPT to edit their previous work showed increased brain activity.
A team of writers at News18.com bring you stories on what’s creating the buzz on the Internet while exploring science, cricket, tech, gender, Bollywood, and culture.
A team of writers at News18.com bring you stories on what’s creating the buzz on the Internet while exploring science, cricket, tech, gender, Bollywood, and culture.
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