MIT revealed what it’s doing (plus a simple fix).
Most of us have felt it:
↳ You start relying on AI for daily work.
↳ Then try doing it alone, and it suddenly feels harder.
MIT’s Media Lab recently ran one of the first studies on how using AI affects our brains.
Over four months, researchers used brain scans to study three groups of people doing a writing task:
• One wrote completely on their own.
• One used Google Search.
• One used ChatGPT.
The results were eye-opening.
The study found that using AI can lead to:
1. Memory loss
➟ 83% of ChatGPT users couldn’t recall a single sentence they had written minutes earlier.
➟ Those who wrote without AI remembered normally.
2. Reduced Brain Power
➟ A 47% drop in brain connectivity was recorded in ChatGPT users.
➟ And the effect continued even after they stopped using AI.
3. Decreased Learning
➟ Mental effort, which drives learning, dropped by 33%.
➟ That’s the price we pay for finishing faster.
The good news:
↳ You don’t need to abandon AI completely.
The research showed that you can still have:
• Stronger memory
• Better brain activity
• Higher-quality work
All while using AI, if you use it intentionally.
Their recommendation ➟ Don’t start with AI.
Start with your own ideas first, then bring AI in later to refine, edit, or expand.
Use it as an assistant or editor, not a substitute for thinking.
Because this isn't the first time our brains have faced this challenge.
We’ve seen this pattern before:
▸ When we type instead of writing by hand.
▸ When we take photos instead of observing.
▸ When we follow GPS instead of navigating ourselves.
Every time we let a tool think for us too early, we weaken our own process.
The solution is simple ➟ be intentional.
↳ Use your brain to think, learn, and create. Then let AI help polish the result.
Here's what to remember:
When you hand over your thinking too early, you're not just working faster. You're actually rewiring your brain.