MIT Study Reveals ChatGPT Reduces Cognitive Load by 47%, Raising Concerns About Brain Function Adaptation

From Insight to Amnesia: How ChatGPT Cut Cognitive Load by 47% in MIT Study "The real danger of artificial intelligence isn’t superintelligence. It’s sub-intelligence: ours." As ChatGPT increasingly integrates into our daily lives, assisting with everything from brainstorming and writing to organizing and empathy, the line between augmentation and substitution grows perilously thin. We now have tools that can finish our thoughts before we even finish typing them. However, this convenience may come at the cost of outsourcing key aspects of human intelligence. In 2025, a groundbreaking study from MIT’s Media Lab provided concrete evidence of this concern. The research, conducted over four months, involved 54 participants who were tasked with completing cognitively demanding writing assignments using three distinct methods: relying solely on their own cognitive abilities, using traditional internet searches, and depending entirely on ChatGPT. The results were striking. Researchers measured the participants' neural activity and found significant differences among the groups. Those who relied on ChatGPT experienced a 47% reduction in cognitive load compared to the group using their own cognitive abilities. The participants who used traditional internet searches fell somewhere in between, but still showed a notable decrease in brain activity when compared to those working independently. The study, dubbed the "MIT Cognitive Crash Test," underscores the profound impact AI tools can have on how the brain processes information and performs complex tasks. While the reduction in cognitive load may seem beneficial, the implications are more nuanced. Less mental effort could mean less engagement with the material, potentially leading to a decline in critical thinking skills and memory retention. The findings have sparked discussions among educators, neuroscientists, and writers about the long-term effects of heavy reliance on AI. While AI can undoubtedly enhance productivity and efficiency, there is a growing concern that it might also erode essential cognitive functions. The MIT study highlights the need for a balanced approach to using AI tools. As we continue to develop and integrate advanced technologies, it is crucial to understand their effects on human cognition and to foster practices that complement rather than replace our innate intellectual capabilities.