CHATGPT DIMS BRAIN ACTIVITY IN ESSAY WRITING, MIT STUDY FINDS

A new MIT study reveals that using ChatGPT to write essays reduces brain activity compared to writing with traditional search tools or no tools at all.

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Researchers hooked up dozens of college students to brain-scanning headsets, asking them to write SAT-style essays under three conditions: relying on ChatGPT, using Google search, or writing solely with their own minds.

The findings showed clear differences in how the brain worked depending on the method used.

The study measured neural connectivity, which tracks how different brain regions communicate during tasks. Students writing without any tools showed the strongest connections, like a busy highway system with signals firing across multiple areas.

Those using search engines had moderate activity, while ChatGPT users displayed the weakest links, suggesting less mental effort. The brain scans painted a vivid picture: Al-assisted writing seemed to quiet the mind's engagement.

This wasn't a one-off test. Over multiple sessions, the pattern held, with ChatGPT users consistently showing lower neural activity.

The study also explored what happens when students switch methods, revealing lasting effects that raise questions about how AI shapes thinking over time.

It's a glimpse into how tools we use to write might change how we process ideas.

MEMORY AND OWNERSHIP TAKE A HIT

One striking result was how ChatGPT affected memory. Students using the AI struggled to recall their essays, even minutes after writing them. Most couldn't quote a single line accurately, and few felt their work was truly theirs. In contrast, those writing without tools easily remembered their essays and expressed strong ownership, as if the act of crafting sentences cemented the words in their minds.