A recent study from MIT’s Media Lab has raised concerns about how using ChatGPT affects students’ brains and learning abilities. The study, conducted over four months with 54 participants, suggests that relying on ChatGPT for writing tasks may reduce brain activity, weaken memory, and lower critical thinking skills. These findings highlight the need to carefully consider how AI tools are used in education.
The study involved students aged 18 to 39 from Boston-area universities. Participants were split into three groups: one used ChatGPT to write SAT-style essays, another used Google Search, and the third relied only on their own thinking, called the “brain-only” group. Researchers used EEG headsets to monitor brain activity across 32 regions while the students wrote.
The results were striking. The brain-only group showed the highest brain activity, especially in areas linked to creativity, memory, and focus. Their essays were more original and diverse, and they reported feeling proud of their work. The Google Search group had moderate brain engagement, as searching for information still required active thinking. However, the ChatGPT group showed the lowest brain activity, with weaker connections in areas tied to attention and memory. Their essays were often similar, lacking originality, and were described as “soulless” by English teachers who reviewed them.
Over time, the ChatGPT group became more passive. By their third essay, many simply copied and pasted AI-generated text instead of thinking critically. When asked to recall their essays, over 80% struggled to quote their own work, showing poor memory retention. The study introduced the term “cognitive debt,” meaning that relying on AI can weaken the brain’s ability to think and learn over time.
In a fourth session, the groups switched methods. The ChatGPT users wrote without AI, while the brain-only group used ChatGPT. The results were telling: those who switched from ChatGPT to brain-only struggled to engage their brains, showing lower activity and less original writing. Meanwhile, the brain-only group, when using ChatGPT, showed increased brain activity as they combined their own ideas with AI suggestions. This suggests that using AI after independent thinking may be more beneficial than relying on it from the start.
The study has limitations. It used a small group of 54 students from one area, and only 18 completed the final session. It also focused on ChatGPT, so results may not apply to other AI models. The findings are preliminary and not yet peer-reviewed, but researchers felt it was urgent to share them due to the rapid rise of AI in schools. About 25% of U.S. teens used ChatGPT for schoolwork in 2024, double the number from 2023.
Lead researcher Nataliya Kosmyna warned against overuse, especially in young students, saying, “Developing brains are at the highest risk.” She fears that introducing AI too early, like in kindergarten, could harm learning. However, the study suggests AI can be helpful if used as a tool to enhance, not replace, thinking. For example, starting with your own ideas and then using AI for editing or brainstorming may keep the brain active.
While ChatGPT can make writing faster, this study shows it comes at a cost. It may reduce creativity, memory, and critical thinking, especially if used heavily. Educators and students should balance AI use with independent effort to avoid “cognitive debt” and keep minds sharp. As AI becomes more common, more research is needed to understand its long-term effects on learning.