Is our AI fixation making us dumber?

The MIT study observed a noticed reduction in neural, linguistic and behavioural levels in LLM-users

On Sunday afternoon, while interviewing candidates for an internship role, educationist Fatema Agarkar decided to have them write an essay describing their goals. "Before I spoke with them, I wanted them to write about why they wanted to work in education. I had read their long and really articulate emails to me, which I was certain I wouldn't have been able to compose as an 18-year-old myself. They were taken aback when I said they couldn't use their phones or the Internet. And that they only had 10 minutes for this task," she elaborates. When pressed to deliver, the candidates all claimed that writing by hand was overrated, especially when there was technology freely available to save them the effort and the time investment, Agarkar notes: "They claimed that AI could help them move right past the thinking and strategising phases into monetisation, little realising that the first two functions required original, nuanced thought."

Parents can restrict screen time, and make unstructured offline play a part of daily routines for children. Representation pics/Istock

Agarkar's observations are echoed by a recent MIT study, which measured the neural and behavioural consequences of LLM (Large Language Model)-assisted essay writing. When the participants' brain connectivity was measured, brain-only participants exhibited the strongest, most distributed networks. Those using search engines showed moderate engagement, while LLM users displayed the weakest connectivity. Over four months, LLM users consistently underperformed at neural, linguistic, and behavioural levels. Findings such as these raise the pertinent question - Is our use of Artificial Intelligence undermining the grey matter we're born with?

An expensive shortcut

"Imagine that you're thinking of a song. Perhaps you remember the actors dancing, or you remember the choreography. And you rack your brains to remember the lyrics. Today, most people would use Google or AI to fill in the gaps in their memory. They would instinctively reach for these tools to solve the problem. Now, imagine giving the thought more time. Maybe you sleep on it. Or you tuck it away in the back of your mind and move onto other things. And it eventually comes to you. Each time your brain works on solving such problems, it strengthens a neural pathway. It improves your long-term memory retention and teaches you better retrieval - all important parts of memory," explains Dr Nahid Dave, a psychiatrist at Thought Matters. She adds that the dopamine release that accompanies problem-solving can further aid learning. Replacing this process with digital tools or AI can impair memory retention and retrieval, while also increasing dependency as people will no longer want to make the effort.

Over-dependence on AI can inhibit cognitive restructuring affecting memory retention and retrieval

AI can also inhibit cognitive restructuring, Dr Dave warns: "When the conscious mind is involved in solving a problem, it can sometimes become fixated and stagnated. When you distract your conscious into doing some other activity, your unconscious is still solving the problem and doing so with no stress. You can have that Eureka moment and arrive at the answer without any stress. Replacing this process with AI denies our brains the ability to perform these important functions." The third red flag is the instant gratification that AI offers. "The minute you have a problem, you can ask AI, and you have all the answers. The ability to be creative, to make your working memory stronger has reduced because instead of harnessing it, turn to AI to solve the problem for you, she says. Referring to Agarkar's example of writing an essay, she adds: "People may ask why they should learn to write a letter, for example, when you can just get a ready-made letter about anything on AI? The point is that you will never know whether it's good or bad. And you will never know how to improve it if you've not written it yourself."

Fatema Agarkar

"The human brain loves challenges and active exercise. When we over-depend on AI for remembering, decision-making, or even planning and writing, we take away the brain's chance to exercise these functions. Eventually, such ‘cognitive offloading' can result in lower mental acuity, diminished memory retention, and poorer problem-solving skills, just as how repeated reliance on GPS has impaired our innate sense of direction," adds Dr Dipesh Pimpale, consultant (neurology) at KIMS Hospitals, Thane. He shares that over-reliance on AI will numb our cognitive autonomy by keeping us from using our minds creatively or critically. "If we no longer challenge our brain, like any muscle that lies dormant, it becomes weaker. An active mind needs to be stimulated, thought about, and learned from actively not passively consumed," he says.

A fine balance

Writing off all AI as detrimental, or asking your kids to swear off it altogether is neither realistic nor practical, agree Agarkar and Dr Dave. Both, however, suggest a more controlled approach. "AI can be a very good support system; but it cannot and should not replace your curiosity, exploration and creativity. So, allowing yourself the time to deep-think and retrieve memories, and not instantly gratifying yourself is important," says Dr Dave.

Nahid Dave

Agarkar, who also serves as an advisor and mentor for Finland International School, Mahalakshmi, explains that many schools are conducting orientations to apprise children about the responsible use of digital resources. "We follow this up with tech drills, and have regular checks to ensure that children don't slip up. We recommend that parents avoid reprimanding children because they will just find a better way to hide it. What we suggest is a shift in mindset. In the case of parents, instead of being exclusively outcome-oriented, they should understand the importance of the process. That's where the learning is," she explains. Dr Dave recommends that parents encourage both boredom and imaginative play with no structure, where children can innovate games: "Puzzles and storytelling can improve cognitive abilities. In terms of homework, AI should not be the first resort but can be used to verify and enhance."

Dipesh Pimpale

"The solution is deliberate application. Applying AI to generate new ideas is productive; but allowing it to make all your decisions on what to read, how to think is restrictive. Equilibrium comes from being mentally engaged, challenging AI's recommendations, and making sure you remain the navigator, not the passenger," concludes Dr Pimpale.

Five ways to sharpen your child's mind

1 Invite active problem-solving: Encourage children to attempt solving homework or puzzles before seeking AI help
2 Establish healthy boundaries: Restrict screen time and make offline play, reading and conversations a part of their daily routine
3 Foster real-world interactions: Encourage face-to-face interaction that develops emotional intelligence and social reasoning
4 Be good role models: Adults must demonstrate the use of AI intelligently - as a learning aid, not an escape from thinking
5 Engage the brain every day: Reading, writing or memory games will keep the mind flexible and resilient

Information courtesy: Dr Dipesh Pimpale