AI’s Brain Rot Problem

Introduction

MIT study finds that ChatGPT use might make us dummer over time. It’s possible that our brain atrophies through extended offloading of knowledge tasks to ChatGPT if we’re not actively using our brain.

This shouldn’t be surprising: doing the work ourselves keeps us sharp & enhances learning. Letting someone (or something) else do it doesn’t give us any benefit and reduces our capability and memory over time if we’re not actively using it anymore.

“Over four months, LLM users consistently underperformed at neural, linguistic, and behavioral levels. These results raise concerns about the long-term educational implications of LLM reliance and underscore the need for deeper inquiry into AI’s role in learning.”

In full disclosure, the MIT study has not been peer reviewed yet, but the researchers wanted to warn others of the potential effects.

THE EXPERIMENT:
3 groups had a writing task.
1 group used no technology
1 group used a search engine for research only
1 used ChatGPT for anything they wanted

During the essay writing the participants were hooked up to an EEG monitoring brain patterns. After writing their assignment, the groups were interviewed on what they wrote.

FINDINGS:
1. Cognitive activity scaled down in relation to external tool use.

2. The ChatGPT group consistently had the hardest time recalling anything they wrote. They were unable to quote their own work.

3. In a 4th writing task, the ChatGPT group wrote an essay without technology and showed reduced alpha and beta connectivity, indicating under-engagement.

WHAT THIS MEANS:
Groups without ChatGPT indicate signs of learning & engagement.
Groups with ChatGPT indicate no learning & under-engagement.

The groups relying on their brain were forced to take an active cognitive process in the activity, and as a result showed the greatest mental benefits.

The ChatGPT group were able to coast through their assignment, taking a passive cognitive approach, and the result showed not only a lack of mental benefit, but possible future harm as they became disengaged.

TAKE AWAY:
Use it or lose it like building muscle. Neurons that don’t fire any more will get pruned – thats hard earned knowledge dissapearing.

So, don’t let ChatGPT do all your work. Instead, use ChatGPT or other LLMs like a tool (spell checker, calculator, thesaurus) to augment and enhance your existing writing.

The study
New York Times
Axios