Are ChatGPT, Gemini, and similar AI tools making us think less – or are they making us think differently? The MIT study, “Your Brain on ChatGPT,” by Nataliya Kosmyna and other researchers, raises a valid question. It suggests that over-reliance on ChatGPT and similar large language models (LLMs) may erode critical thinking skills, memory, and creativity, especially in younger users. But is the issue really about using AI, or how we use it? Experts feel the path forward demands a mindful and disciplined integration of these powerful tools, ensuring they remain aids to human ingenuity, fostering deeper thought and original expression, not substitutes for it.
Jaspreet Bindra, founder: AI&Beyond, India and Tech Whisperer, UK, said, “The MIT study is a timely warning, saying that heavy ChatGPT users showed up to 55% lower brain engagement and poorer memory recall, even denying ownership of their own words. This suggests that while AI tools boost convenience, they risk dulling critical thinking, especially when overused for tasks that demand cognitive effort.”
India has the world’s largest user base of ChatGPT as per the recent Mary Meeker report, and most of them are students and young professionals (age groups 16-30). They use it for drafting assignments, preparing exams, or speeding up content work. While this expands access and productivity, over-reliance may negatively affect learning and original thinking, Bindra said.
Ramanujam Thirumalai, CTO, Global Products and Solutions (GPS), NIIT, concurs: “Many students give in to the temptation of letting AI do the thinking for them. Educators, too, are struggling. How do we encourage use of AI while preventing misuse? The answer is not fear. It is responsible use, guided by better training, stronger ethics, and smarter learning environments.”
The MIT study used EEG scans and found that participants who used ChatGPT for essay writing showed significantly lower brain engagement compared to those who used Google Search or no digital tools. “When individuals rely heavily on AI to generate content or answers, they tend to offload cognitive effort to the AI. This means they engage less in deep, reflective thinking, analysis, and independent problem-solving. This ‘cognitive offloading’ may weaken the brain’s ability to perform these tasks independently over time,” said Shaunak Ajinkya, consultant, psychiatrist, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Mumbai.
The MIT study also noted that essays written with ChatGPT lacked original content and often consisted of copied and pasted responses with minimal editing. Users also reported a fragmented sense of authorship and difficulty recalling what they had written, suggesting a lack of internal integration of the material. “Participants who used ChatGPT struggled to recall their own work, even when later asked to rewrite essays without the tool. This indicates that the information was not being deeply processed or integrated into their memory networks,” Ajinkya pointed out.
However, it’s important to note some important counterpoints. Some studies, such as the one by Ying Xu, assistant professor at Harvard University, published last month, also suggest that when AI is used as a complement to human thinking, rather than a replacement, it enhances learning. In the MIT study, too, it was seen that the “brain-only” group, when later given access to ChatGPT for a rewrite, demonstrated increased cognitive activity, implying that AI can be beneficial if foundational thinking is already in place.
Sreyestha Bepari, psychologist, Apollo Clinics, Pune, said, “The promise of AI, like ChatGPT, was to expand our thinking, yet we’ve allowed it to atrophy our cognitive muscle, particularly in the younger generation. The alarming decline in their ability to ideate, think deeply, and express themselves signals a critical erosion of essential skills. To safeguard creativity, we must erect guardrails: harnessing AI for information synthesis and brainstorming, truly leveraging its efficiency, but never permitting it to supplant our own ideation.”
Putting guardrails in place is not just beneficial, but arguably essential, to ensure that AI serves as a true augmentor of human capabilities rather than a substitute for them, said Ajinkya. The best way forward is AI literacy, according to Bindra. “Indians must learn how to use these tools wisely – when to rely on them and when to unplug. Like with calculators and GPS, we must adapt without outsourcing our core cognitive skills,” he concluded.
