Reading the MIT study on ChatGPT and brain activity
Dr Susanne Friese · · Critical AI literacy
AI and the Brain: Panic, Proof, or Just Hype?
You may have come across the recent MIT study that shows using ChatGPT reduces brain activity:
Kosmyna, N., Hauptmann, E., Yuan, Y.T., Situ, J., Liao, X., Beresnitzky, A.V., Braunstein, I., & Maes, P. (2025).Your Brain on ChatGPT: Accumulation of Cognitive Debt when Using an AI Assistant for Essay Writing Tasks.
It’s been making the rounds online, often with commentary like: "See? I told you AI is bad. Look what it’s doing to students. It’s going to make us all dumb."
But what’s getting less attention is this: the study is based on just 53 participants. The authors themselves clearly state that the results cannot be generalized — yet that nuance is quickly lost as the headline spreads. If you're curious about more balanced perspectives, here are two very different takes:
Here are two different takes on the study: One from Mitch Michem: The Real Reason Academia Hates AI: Intelligence Is Now Free (And They're Terrified)
ahumanhive.com/the-intelligence-brief/the-real-r…
And a step-by-step breakdown of the study by Theo-t33.gg (YouTube): Is AI making us dumb? Breaking down the MIT study
Understanding how AI affects us starts with asking better questions—not just sharing louder headlines.
Kind regards,