MIT research reveals that excessive use of ChatGPT is diminishing students' critical thinking abilities and reducing brain activity.
AI: Recent research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has revealed a surprising finding. The study indicates that students who frequently use generative AI tools like ChatGPT are gradually losing their thinking and comprehension skills. This study has sparked a new debate in the tech world – is AI slowing down our intelligence?
Research Methodology:
This study, conducted by MIT's Media Lab, involved 54 students aged 18 to 39. These students were divided into three groups:
- The first group used ChatGPT.
- The second group used only Google Search.
- The third group did not use any digital tools.
All three groups were tasked with writing similar SAT-style essays, and their brain activity was recorded using an EEG (Electroencephalography) machine equipped with 32 electrodes.
Surprising Results:
1. Minimal Brain Activity in ChatGPT Users:
The research found that students using ChatGPT were not only passive in their thinking but also failed to rephrase the tool's answers in their own words. Most simply copied and pasted. This resulted in inactivity in the parts of their brains associated with creativity, deep thinking, and memory.
2. Google Search Activated the Brain:
Significantly more brain activity was observed in Google Search users. This was because they had to read, understand, and then present the information in their own words. This indicates that traditional internet searches still engage the thinking process.
3. Best Performance from Those Without Tools:
The students who wrote essays without any tools showed the highest brain activity. Their creative centers, long-term memory, and focus areas exhibited the highest activity. They wrote thoughtfully and employed their individual writing styles.
Impact of Tool Switching:
To further investigate, the students were later asked to rewrite the essay, but this time with switched tools.
- Those who had previously used ChatGPT were now asked to write without any tools.
- Those who had initially written without tools were allowed to use ChatGPT.
The results were again striking. Those who had previously used ChatGPT could barely recall their first essay. Conversely, those who had written independently initially demonstrated a better understanding of ChatGPT's limitations and shaped their responses more effectively within the tool's constraints.
Study Conclusions:
This MIT study clearly indicates that AI tools like ChatGPT, while offering shortcuts, can harm critical thinking skills when it comes to learning and mental development.
While AI tools may help students produce essays or answers quickly, they don't facilitate learning during the process. The ability to think, analyze, and develop individual writing styles gradually weakens.
Recommendations:
Using AI is not entirely wrong, but balanced usage is essential. Experts believe that:
- Students should first try to think and formulate answers independently.
- ChatGPT or other AI tools should be used only as aids, not as primary sources.
- Schools and colleges should teach AI literacy so students understand when and how to use AI.
