Is AI rotting your brain?

Maybe, but don't blame AI

We’re all doomed, according to these excerpts from headlines from the last week:

• ChatGPT reshapes student brain function and reduces creativity

• Critical thinking and attention spans have been demolished

• Brain activity lower when using AI chatbots

• Using AI to write essays can impair brain function

These headlines are catchy. They’re alarming. And they’re based on real research (from MIT no less).

They’re also highly misleading.

So let’s take this study and the subsequent media fallout as an opportunity to exercise our critical thinking - one of the key skills that I believe will be required to thrive in the age of AI:

MIT did produce a study

MIT researchers recently released a working paper examining how students who relied on generative AI (ChatGPT) to help write essays performed on similar tasks months later. The researchers found that those students demonstrated lower neural engagement, weaker linguistic performance, and reduced behavioural involvement on these tasks compared to those who completed them without AI assistance.

But the results were kind of obvious

Because the study didn't show that "AI rots your brain." Instead, it demonstrated something much narrower and kind of obvious: students who let AI tools complete tasks for them became less engaged in those tasks. No sh*t Sherlock. If you rely on AI completely - call it lazy AI use - you'll naturally engage less deeply and learn less effectively.

So how do we protect our brains from AI rot?

First, question everything. And then question everything again.

Secondly, never outsource your thinking to AI. Sure, AI can be brilliant at saving you time in mundane tasks. There are genuinely draining tasks that offer little cognitive benefit; delegating these to AI frees up mental resources for more meaningful, cognitively enriching activities. Being thoughtful about how you reallocate your mental effort can actually enhance your cognitive engagement.

And remember, critical thinking is rapidly becoming one of the essential skills for future success. If a sensational headline grabs your attention, use it as a prompt to practice skepticism. Read the article, explore the research, and ask critical questions. That's how you sharpen your skepticism and strengthen your capacity to navigate the future.

At the time of writing, your thoughts remain under your control. It's not AI itself that makes you lazy - it's your decision about how to use it. We don't yet know definitively whether AI can weaken your intellect or "rot your brain." The research simply isn't there. But here are some rules that I think are pretty safe to live by:

• Save time and energy on boring, low value work with AI = GOOD

• Spend that spare time and energy drinking vodka = BAD

Stay skeptical. Stay thoughtful.

And if you’re interested in using AI to become better, faster, more effective and happier, then I have just the place for you to get started.