Lazier and atrophied brains in the Age of AI

The MIT study revealing the impact of AI on your brain

Quick summary: a new study from MIT confirms that starting your work with ChatGPT reduces brain activity, memory, and creativity. But there’s a method to harness AI without dulling your mind.

The study measured brain activity (EEG) and the quality of SAT-style essays in 54 participants, divided into three groups: those who could use ChatGPT, those who used only Google Search, and those who relied solely on their own brain.

Metric	ChatGPT	Google	Just brain
Brain Activity (EEG)	–40 %	–15 %	↑ Max
Short-term memory	Low	Medium	High
Creativity	Low	Medium	High
Perceived authorship	Very low	Medium	Very high

But here’s the most interesting part:

• Those who used AI from the very beginning did not recover normal brain activity when later asked to write without assistance.

• In contrast, participants who first relied on their own thinking and only used AI afterwards maintained high brain activation—and improved the final quality of their work.

How to use AI without letting your brain atrophy

• Human first draft: start with your own ideas, structure, and key arguments.

• AI refinement: ask the AI to improve style, add examples, or summarize.

• Iterate toward the final result: expand, adjust, and repeat step 2 as needed.

• Critical final review: fact-check and make sure your voice remains intact.

Conclusion

AI is like an intellectual exoskeleton: it helps you lift more, but if you wear it all day, your muscles weaken. At Brokyl AI Consulting, we help companies make AI a support system—not a starting point. With the right strategy, you gain speed without sacrificing critical thinking.