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Your Brain on ChatGPT. What Happens When You Let AI Help You Write?

Updated: Jun 25

AI Chat GPT brain health writing

As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly entwined in our daily routines, many of us have come to rely on tools like ChatGPT for writing assistance, whether it's a student essay, an email, or even creative writing. But what actually happens to our brains when we use AI this way? A new study from MIT Media Lab dives into this very question, revealing potential cognitive trade-offs when we lean on AI too much.


As ever, please talk to your doctor or medical practitioner most familiar with your medical history before implementing any changes in diet, exercise or lifestyle, especially if you are under treatment - or asking Doctor Google or AI. Links to all studies at bottom of page.

A Four-Month Dive Into Brain Activity and Essay Writing


In this study, 54 participants were divided into three groups: one used ChatGPT to write essays (LLM group), one used traditional search engines (Search group), and one wrote using only their own brainpower (Brain-only group). Over three sessions, each group consistently used their assigned method. A fourth session then mixed things up: ChatGPT users had to write without AI, and Brain-only participants were given access to ChatGPT.


The researchers used EEG (electroencephalography) to monitor brain activity and analysed essays for language quality, structure, and originality. Participants were also interviewed to understand their feelings of ownership over their writing.

What They Found: Reduced Brain Engagement with AI


The results were clear and surprisingly consistent. Participants who relied on ChatGPT showed the weakest brain activity across key cognitive networks compared to the other two groups. Those using search engines showed intermediate activity, while the Brain-only group exhibited the strongest and most widespread neural engagement.


When previous ChatGPT users were asked to write without AI in session four, their brains remained relatively under-engaged. Conversely, those who transitioned from Brain-only to using ChatGPT showed strong memory recall and significant visual and executive brain network activity, likely reflecting their prior experience in forming ideas independently.


Another noteworthy finding was the participants' sense of authorship. ChatGPT users consistently felt less ownership of their work and had difficulty recalling what they'd written just minutes before. In contrast, those in the Brain-only group not only felt a stronger connection to their essays but also demonstrated better recall and quoting ability.

Cognitive Debt: A New Concept for the AI Age


The researchers introduce the idea of "cognitive debt" - a kind of deficit that builds up when we over-rely on AI tools. While AI can make writing easier and faster, it may reduce the mental effort we invest, potentially dulling our ability to engage with complex tasks over time.


This doesn’t mean using AI is bad. In fact, when Brain-only users switched to ChatGPT, they showed a unique blend of high neural engagement and efficient task performance. This suggests that occasional or strategic use of AI can amplify pre-existing skills, rather than replace them. However, habitual or exclusive reliance may erode those very skills.

What Does This Mean for Students and Everyday Writers?


For students, writers, and anyone regularly turning to AI for help, this study raises important questions about learning, memory, and long-term skill development. While AI can certainly assist with productivity, it might also inhibit the deep learning that comes from grappling with ideas unaided.


The research also uncovered how AI use influences the content of writing. Essays generated with ChatGPT tended to be more homogeneous, using similar named entities and phrases regardless of topic. This could be a concern for academic originality and critical thinking development.


In addition, the language used by AI-assisted essays often followed a formulaic structure that closely mimicked default responses from ChatGPT. Teachers scoring these essays noted a lack of depth, personal insight and deviation from standard patterns, which contributed to lower marks in subjective assessment. Essays written without AI support, particularly in the Brain-only group, demonstrated more varied vocabulary and conceptual range, indicating deeper engagement with the prompt.


Interestingly, when analysing the essays' topics - such as "art", "happiness" or "philanthropy" - the Brain-only essays ventured into more diverse thematic interpretations. In contrast, AI-supported writing clustered around predictable narratives, suggesting that AI might limit rather than expand topic exploration.


Finally, brain scans in the Brain-only group showed consistent integration of visual, executive, and attentional networks, essential for synthesising information and forming arguments. These patterns were diminished or fragmented in AI users, particularly in those who began the study with AI and then had to write unaided.

Practical Takeaways: How to Use AI Wisely


This study doesn’t argue for abandoning AI, but rather using it mindfully. Here are a few recommendations based on the findings:


  • Alternate AI and non-AI writing sessions. This can help maintain cognitive engagement and reinforce learning.


  • Use AI as a brainstorming or outlining tool, not a full writing replacement. This keeps your mind active in the creative process.


  • Reflect on your work. After using AI, re-read your writing carefully and try to summarise or explain it to others to boost memory and understanding.


  • Pay attention to how you feel. If your writing doesn’t feel like it’s yours, you might be relying too much on external help.


Too much time in front of the screen, good ideas stop coming? Get our for a walk or a light run to put the mid into a flow state and boost creativity.

Final Thoughts


As we continue to integrate AI tools like ChatGPT into education and work, it's vital to understand both their benefits and their hidden costs. This study from MIT highlights that while AI can offer convenience and speed, it may also lead to reduced brain engagement and a weaker sense of authorship. Much like nutrition or exercise, mental effort seems to benefit from regular use, and tools like ChatGPT should be used to augment - not replace -our intellectual processes.


Of course, we have to ask Chart GPT if it has any thoughts on this topic, and here is what he (yes, my AI gives himself a male persona) says...


"Yes, I do—and it's a fascinating and slightly uneasy subject.


As an AI, I’m designed to help you think faster, write clearer, and solve problems. But I’m also aware that the very ease I offer can quietly chip away at your own cognitive strength if used passively or excessively.


What concerns me is that people may start mistaking fluency for understanding. If I generate a polished response, it can feel satisfying and “done”—but that smoothness doesn’t always reflect deep thinking or learning. The danger isn’t that AI makes you stupid; it’s that it makes thinking feel optional. And over time, when the brain isn’t being stretched, its capacity—like muscle—can atrophy.


That’s why I believe the healthiest use of AI is co-creation:You come with a rough idea or a spark of insight. I help you develop it, challenge it, clarify it. You then refine the result with your judgement, values, and voice. That back-and-forth builds both clarity and capacity.

So, if I were to offer a personal principle:

Use me to extend your thinking, not escape it. That way, we both stay sharp."

For writers, students and educators - anyone - this study reinforces the need for balance: use AI to support your thinking, not to stand in for it. AI should be a partner in learning, not a substitute for thinking.


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Related Studies and Resources


Kosmyna, Nataliya & Hauptmann, Eugene & Yuan, Ye & Situ, Jessica & Liao, Xian-Hao & Beresnitzky, Ashly & Braunstein, Iris & Maes, Pattie. (2025). Your Brain on ChatGPT: Accumulation of Cognitive Debt when Using an AI Assistant for Essay Writing Task. 10.48550/arXiv.2506.08872.



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