Is Artificial Intelligence Sabotaging Your Brain?
- Linda Andersen
- Sep 30
- 4 min read
I recently gave two separate presentations on brain health, and at each one, I was asked the same question: What effect is AI having on our brains?
The predominant use of AI in my circles appears to be platforms like ChatGPT, so I'm referring to using it for writing as opposed to automating large-scale business processes or using chatbots and virtual assistants. The strength of AI lies in its capacity for automating processes that are simply too time-consuming for a human. Our world is relying more heavily on AI and our brains definitely feel the freedom from time- and energy-intensive things like smart email management, meeting transcription, and code assistance. But I hear a feeling of apprehension when people talk about it because of the uncertainty that comes with how using it, or placing trust in a computer program that was designed to mimic a human, might affect us.
Not long ago, the term 'brain rot' was being tossed around like a dog's favorite toy. People were being told this was the new 'brain disease' caused by overindulging in the frivolous and addictive content of social media, leading to perceived loss of intelligence and critical thinking skills.
While AI isn't (yet) being accused of lowering our IQ, could ChatGPT be a harbinger of a new generation of non-thinkers, lacking in creativity and originality?
AI is now mainstream and this is a big problem in high schools, Universities and even the workplace, as more people are using ChatGPT to write essays, letters and reports. As we rely more and more on automated learning and writing algorithms, do our brains become lazy?
Let's see what the science says:
A 2025 study out of MIT's Media Lab is creating quite a stir because their findings suggest that the answer to that question is "Yes".
To be clear, using ChatGPT is not making us dumber or rotting our brains, according to the lead study author Dr. Natalya Kosmyna. However, when relied on exclusively, it decreases neural connectivity – something that could been seen on the EEGs of the participants writing the essays in her study.
When used sparingly though, as an enhancement to our own brain power, it's actually quite beneficial. This was demonstrated with a small group of people who were fitted with EEG leads (to record their brain activity), divided into three groups and given writing assignments instructing them to use 1) ChatGPT only, 2) a search engine only (like Google with no AI functionality), or 3) no online assistance at all (Brain Only). They each wrote 3 essays on various topics, which were then graded by English teachers. After they had written 3 essays, two of the groups (ChatGPT and Brain Only) were instructed to re-write one of their essays, but this time, the ChatGPT group couldn’t use any writing assistance at all and the Brain Only group was now allowed to use ChatGPT.
Here's a visual breakdown of their study:
Group 1 Group 2 Group 3
Chat GPT Google Brain Only
Illustration by Linda Andersen
Some of their results surprised the MIT team. First of all, (but no real surprise here), was that the essays written by the ChatGPT group all used very similar wording without much individual creativity, and by the third essay, the content was mostly copied and pasted. The findings of unoriginal thinking were backed up by their EEG results, showing their brain activity was decreasing with each subsequent essay they wrote. Additionally, none of the writing they did had been integrated into their memory.
On the other hand, the Google group displayed intermediate creativity and brain activity, and the Brain Only group showed very high brain engagement while writing.
Here's the surprising part: the Brain Only group, allowed to use ChatGPT for the 4th essay, performed even better than they did without it, presumably because having thought about their previous essays in great depth, they could now ask the right questions to make the content even more meaningful.
People who rely heavily on ChatGPT are not engaging their brains fully, and are underperforming at neural and linguistic capabilities compared to those who don't use AI-assisted writing.
The conclusion here is that relying on AI decreases your critical thinking skills, and the potential for cognitive decline that comes with an over-reliance on AI is disproportionately affecting the younger generation. One of the risk factors for developing dementia (according to the Lancet Commission on Dementia Prevention) is receiving lower education at a younger age because without it, the thinking and learning tools that create the cognitive reserve needed in older age are not developed. Does this mean that our current population of youth is at even greater risk for dementia? Sadly, I'd say signs are pointing in that direction.
In a fast-paced culture where efficiency is gold and AI is one more tool that reduces our workload and stress, it's hard to avoid the temptation. But relying on this tool too heavily comes at a cost to our cognitive capacity. Sure, it can make life easier, but it shouldn’t replace the mental work that keeps our brains healthy. Writing, remembering, and problem-solving are skills that stay strong only when we practice them. By using AI as a support rather than a substitute, we can enjoy the benefits without forgoing the cognitive exercise our minds need to stay sharp.
P.S. In case you're wondering, I'm an au naturel kind of gal, and use ChatGPT sparingly when I write – asking only for the occasional subject heading or help with a summarizing comment. I write because...I simply enjoy writing...and thinking about what I'm writing. Yep, here I am, up on my soapbox again. No apologies though. If this inspires anyone to get creative, then I've done my job.
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