Several recent studies suggest that the continued and excessive use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools, such as large language models like ChatGPT, can reduce critical thinking and the ability to solve problems independently.
A 2025 study from the MIT Media Lab (authors: Nataliya Kosmyna and colleagues) found that participants who used ChatGPT to write essays showed significantly lower brain activity and connectivity, which is associated with cognitive processes, memory, and creativity. They also had greater difficulty recalling and citing texts they had written than those who wrote without AI or using search engines alone.
A 2025 study by Carnegie Mellon and Microsoft researchers (based on a survey of 319 knowledge workers) showed that the greater the trust in AI's capabilities, the less critical analysis workers performed. This can lead to long-term dependence and a weakening of independent problem-solving skills.
