Research: Long-term reliance on large language models like ChatGPT may impair cognitive abilities.

ChainCatcher news: A research team from MIT, Wellesley College, and the Massachusetts College of Art and Design has recently discovered that long-term reliance on large language models (LLM) such as ChatGPT may impair cognitive abilities. The study shows that participants using AI for writing had only half the number of Alpha wave connections in their brains compared to independent thinkers (42 vs. 79), and 83.3% were unable to accurately cite the content of their own articles. Researchers refer to this phenomenon as cognitive debt—relieving the burden of thought in the short term but leading to a decline in critical thinking and creativity in the long term.