MIT Study Warns AI Tools Like ChatGPT May Affect Brain Development, Critical Thinking In Youth

Mumbai: An MIT study has raised concerns about the impact of AI tools like ChatGPT on brain development and learning, especially among young users. The research done in January this year and published in June as pre-print, led by Nataliya Kosmyna, a full-time scientist at the MIT Media Lab, involved 54 participants aged 18 to 39 from the Boston area. These subjects were divided into three groups and asked to write SAT-style essays using either OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google Search, or no digital assistance at all.

There has been concern that using AI will lead to a widespread “dumbing down”, or decline in the ability to think critically.

ChatGPT is a computer program that can understand and answer questions, help you write essays, stories, emails, and even explain things like a smart friend. You just have to type what you want to ask or say, and ChatGPT replies in seconds.