A recent study by researchers at the MIT Media Lab has raised concerns over the impact of ChatGPT on young people’s cognitive engagement and learning. Conducted over several months, the study involved 54 participants aged 18 to 39 from the Boston area. Each was asked to write SAT-style essays using either ChatGPT, Google Search, or no digital tool at all.

The findings were striking. EEG scans tracking brain activity across 32 regions showed that participants using ChatGPT demonstrated the lowest levels of brain engagement. These users "consistently underperformed at neural, linguistic, and behavioural levels," according to the researchers. Over time, the ChatGPT group grew increasingly passive, often resorting to copy-paste methods by the end of the study.

Lead researcher Nataliya Kosmyna explained why she chose to publish the findings before peer review. "What really motivated me to put it out now before waiting for a full peer review is that I am afraid in 6–8 months, there will be some policymaker who decides, ‘let’s do GPT kindergarten.’ I think that would be absolutely bad and detrimental," she said. "Developing brains are at the highest risk."

Participants in the "brain-only" group, those who wrote essays without any assistance, showed the highest neural connectivity, particularly in the alpha, theta, and delta bands associated with creativity, memory, and semantic processing. This group also expressed more curiosity, ownership, and satisfaction with their work.

Those using Google Search also exhibited high engagement and satisfaction. According to the researchers, this difference is notable as more users now turn to AI chatbots instead of traditional search engines to find information.

Lowest brain engagement among ChatGPT users
After completing the essays, participants were asked to revise one of their earlier drafts. Those in the ChatGPT group, now writing without the tool, struggled to recall their previous work and showed lower brainwave activity.

"The task was executed, and you could say that it was efficient and convenient," Kosmyna said. "But as we show in the paper, you basically didn’t integrate any of it into your memory networks."

In contrast, the brain-only group, when given access to ChatGPT for the rewrite, demonstrated increased brain connectivity, suggesting that AI can enhance learning if used after active, independent thinking.

While the study has not yet been peer reviewed and involved a relatively small sample, it adds to a growing body of research at MIT examining the broader impact of generative AI. Previous studies from the lab have also linked extended AI use with increased feelings of loneliness.