Conversation with Gemini: MIT Lab’s Report on ChatGPT Usage and Potential Harm

Ken: Is there a recent study suggesting that heavy use of ChatGPT may reduce neural connectivity?

Gemini: Yes. A recent MIT study published in June 2025 — “Your Brain on ChatGPT: Accumulation of Cognitive Debt when Using an AI Assistant for Essay Writing Tasks” — raises concerns about cognitive effects associated with heavy reliance on AI tools like ChatGPT.

Key findings include:

• Weakened Neural Connectivity: EEG scans revealed that participants using ChatGPT showed reduced engagement of alpha and beta brain networks, especially in regions linked to memory, attention, and executive function.
• Cognitive Debt: The researchers introduced the term cognitive debt to describe the cost of repeatedly outsourcing cognitive tasks to AI, potentially weakening independent thought and creativity over time.
• Diminished Memory & Ownership: ChatGPT users struggled to recall content from their own essays and felt less ownership over their writing.
• Lasting Effects: Even after switching to non-AI writing tasks, prior ChatGPT users exhibited persistently reduced neural activity, suggesting a lingering dependency.
• Performance Decline: Compared to control groups (those using search…