A new study from MIT’s Media Lab has raised red flags about how tools like ChatGPT may be reducing our mental activity.
The research studied 54 people aged 18 to 39. They were divided into three groups: one used ChatGPT to write essays similar to SAT questions, another used Google Search, and the third used only their own knowledge—no help from any tools.
While writing, their brain activity in 32 areas was tracked using EEG headsets to see how mentally engaged they were.
AI vs. Effort: ChatGPT Linked to Lower Brain Activity and Creativity
The results worried researchers. The group using ChatGPT had the lowest brain activity overall.
Their essays were called “soulless” by English teachers, and the EEG readings showed drops in creativity, focus, and effort with each new task.
By the end, many were just copying ChatGPT’s responses with hardly any editing. This lack of involvement was clearly visible in their brain patterns.
Meanwhile, the group that worked without any tools had the highest levels of brain engagement, especially in areas tied to imagination, attention, and memory. These participants also said they felt more satisfied and proud of their work.
Even the group using Google Search performed better than ChatGPT users, showing that the process of searching and thinking keeps the brain more active than simply copying AI output.
Heavy AI Use May Harm Brain Growth
Lead researcher Nataliya Kosmyna felt the findings were serious enough to release even before peer review.
With AI being widely introduced in schools, she warned that what she calls “GPT kindergarten” might be damaging, especially for children whose brains are still developing.
One alarming result: when asked to rewrite their essays from memory, ChatGPT users couldn’t recall what they had written, since the AI had done most of the work and their brains hadn’t absorbed the information.
Ironically, when the study was published, many people used ChatGPT to summarize it—some even got key facts wrong.
These errors were part of fake details the researchers had added to test reading comprehension.
Mental health experts like Dr. Zishan Khan are also worried, saying AI overuse is already weakening thinking skills in students.
Kosmyna’s team is now studying coders who use AI to write code—and she says the early results are “even worse.”
While AI tools are useful, this study is a clear warning: our brains still need regular use. Convenience must not replace curiosity.
