Using AI doesn’t just change how you think. It trains your brain to stop thinking.
Here’s what they found after 4 months of testing;
𝟴𝟯.𝟯% 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗚𝗣𝗧 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝘆𝘀.
→ Brain-only users had no issue quoting their work.
→ ChatGPT users started depending on AI instead of using their own mind.
𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 ~𝟰𝟳% 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗚𝗣𝗧 𝘂𝘀𝗲.
→ Neural engagement went from 79 to 42.
→ This was the lowest of all groups tested (LLM, Search, Brain-only).
𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗜 𝘂𝘀𝗲, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱.
→ Prior ChatGPT users showed continued under-activation of their brains.
→ Cognitive engagement didn’t return to baseline.
𝗘𝘀𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗿—𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗵.
→ Teachers described AI-assisted essays as “robotic” and “lacking insight.”
→ Brain-only users remembered more and felt like the essay was truly their own.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝘀𝘁-𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽?
→ Those who first wrote without AI, then used ChatGPT later.
→ They had the strongest memory, widest neural networks, and top scores.
The real risk isn’t AI getting smarter. It’s us getting weaker. Not because we can’t think. But because we’ve stopped trying.
Use AI.
But don’t outsource your mind.
And never your soul.
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