A new study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has raised concerns about the long-term impact of ChatGPT on brain function. The research, uploaded to Arxiv, indicates that prolonged use of the large language model (LLM) could lead to impaired cognitive abilities, with participants showing decreased neural connectivity compared to those who rely solely on their own intellectual capabilities for writing tasks.
The study involved 54 participants divided into three groups. One group used ChatGPT to write essays, another utilized a search engine, and the third relied exclusively on their own brainpower. Researchers recorded brain activity using EEG monitors to analyze cognitive engagement and neural connectivity patterns. The findings revealed that participants who used the LLM had significantly weaker neural connections and lower cognitive engagement, compared to those who wrote without the aid of external tools.
In the fourth session, participants who switched from using ChatGPT to relying solely on their own cognitive abilities showed