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AI tools are making human brains weaker and memories less reliable, MIT scientists warn

An artificial intelligence interface. Scientists warn that reliance on AI may be distorting human memory, while MIT professor says the technology is causing cognitive atrophy in human brains.
An artificial intelligence interface. Scientists warn that reliance on AI may be distorting human memory, while MIT professor says the technology is causing cognitive atrophy in human brains.

MIT Media Lab professor Pattie Maes tracked electrical brain activity in 54 volunteers writing essays and found that those using ChatGPT showed the weakest neural connectivity and could not recall their own words afterwards. Gideon Nave of the University of Pennsylvania warned that humans who outsource basic thinking to AI risk cognitive decay, saying 'if you don't use it, you lose it.' The Royal Museums Greenwich has also cautioned that instant AI answers risk wearing away the questioning and evaluative habits on which human expertise depends.

Scientists also found AI-generated images and fabricated news stories are implanting false memories, leaving people certain events happened when they did not.

The brain-connectivity gap between AI users and those who used no tools at all was stark, with AI-assisted writers showing the lowest scores across every measure.

Separately, an OpenAI engineer allegedly logged into his wife's ChatGPT account to look up how to construct a hidden recording device before planting one in an executive conference room.

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