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MIT research reveals that ChatGPT and AI tools can leave your brain atrophied
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ChatGPT and other AI tools can result in reduced brain activity and potential brain atrophy, according to a recent study by MIT researchers.
As generative AI grows in popularity, researchers are eager to study the effects of such tools.
Previous studies have suggested that exaggerated dependence on ChatGPT and similar tools leads to addictive behaviors and impairs well-being, atrophies critical thinking, and causes loneliness.
Now, another study highlights the risks of LLM (large language model) tools, such as ChatGPT. MIT Media Lab researchers found that the use of ChatGPT and similar tools to write essays resulted in lower brain activity.
The study, entitled "Your Brain in ChatGPT: Accumulation of Cognitive Debt when Using an AI Assistant for Essay Writing Task", also suggests that those who depended on AI tools got worse at writing essays when asked to perform this task without the assistance of ChatGPT or similar tools.
The study had a small sample of 54 people between 18 and 39 years old. These subjects were divided into three groups: a group only for the brain, a group that could use a traditional search engine, and a group that could use LLM tools, such as ChatGPT.
Those who used LLMs to complete the task experienced a 32% lower cognitive load than those who used traditional software interfaces. They also had less frustration during the process.
An important conclusion is that people who used LLMs during the study used less mental effort to obtain information. Although this is not surprising, it explains why some would be tempted to use AI tools to complete tasks.
In addition to registering greater brain activity, those in the brain-only group reported greater satisfaction in relation to ethical considerations.
"The LLM undeniably reduced the friction involved in answering participants' questions compared to the search engine. However, this convenience had a cognitive cost, decreasing the inclination of users to critically evaluate the production or "opinions" of the LLM (probabilistic responses based on training data sets).
Is ChatGPT making people more stupid?
The study also examined how the use of an LLM to write an essay affected performance when participants were later asked to complete the same task without AI assistance.
The researchers stated that the trend could be attributed to cognitive discharge for AI. In other words, using tools like ChatGPT makes you think less, which may result in lower capacity in the future.
A study conducted by Microsoft researchers, in collaboration with Carnegie Mellon University, analyzed the effects of generative AI on critical thinking. These researchers compared the effects of the use of generative AI with muscle atrophy.
If the data continues to support the theory that the use of AI generative models results in less brain activity and long-term critical thinking, there may be generalized consequences. A research by The Guardian, which was reported by the AI Commission, found that generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT, are often used by students to cheat.
If students and workers rely on ChatGPT and similar tools, they may become less able to perform certain tasks on their own.
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