Heavy ChatGPT use may dull students’ critical thinking, brain activity  – Study

Is artificial intelligence making students smarter—or just lazier?

A new study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Media Lab raises red flags about the growing reliance on AI tools like ChatGPT in education, showing potential harm to critical thinking and brain development, especially among young learners.

In the experiment, 54 participants aged 18 to 39 were divided into three groups and asked to write Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) essays using (1) OpenAI’s ChatGPT, (2) Google Search, and (3) no tools at all. Researchers monitored brain activity using EEG scans covering 32 regions.

The findings were striking: those who used ChatGPT showed the lowest levels of brain engagement and “consistently underperformed at neural, linguistic, and behavioral levels.” Even more troubling, participants grew increasingly passive over time—by the end of the study, many had stopped thinking critically and simply copied and pasted AI-generated responses.

“Large Language Models like ChatGPT offer convenience—but that convenience comes at a cost,” said lead researcher Nataliya Kosmyna. “Developing brains are at the highest risk. I’m deeply concerned that in a few months, someone might propose GPT for kindergarten—that would be disastrous.”

Kosmyna opted to release the study’s preliminary findings before full peer review, citing the urgency of the issue as AI tools rapidly expand into classrooms worldwide.

Supporting the study’s warning, psychiatrist Dr. Zishan Khan—who specializes in treating children and adolescents—said he’s already seeing the effects in his practice. “Many students rely heavily on AI for schoolwork. From a psychiatric standpoint, I’ve seen how this overdependence can impact cognitive development and emotional resilience.”

He explained that neural pathways responsible for memory, fact retrieval, and problem-solving could weaken if not regularly exercised.

The MIT study doesn’t suggest banning AI in education altogether but urges a more thoughtful, balanced approach. As AI becomes more deeply embedded in how we learn and think, researchers say it’s time to ask: Are we outsourcing our brains too soon? TRACY CABRERA