Bo’s Blog

This past June, MIT researchers published findings that seemed to explain what we’re experiencing. They scanned the brains of 54 students writing essays under three conditions: using only ChatGPT, using only Google, or using just their own thinking.

The results seemed damning. The ChatGPT group showed the lowest neural activity, and 83 percent couldn’t remember what they’d written, compared to just 11 percent in the other groups. “Is ChatGPT making us stupid?,” the headlines asked.

But buried in the study was a finding most coverage missed. The researchers also tested what happens when you sequence your AI use differently. Some participants thought first, then used AI (brain → AI). Others used AI first, then switched to thinking (AI → brain).

The brain → AI group showed better attention, planning, and memory even while using AI. Remarkably, their cognitive engagement stayed as high as students who never used AI. The researchers suggest this increased engagement came from integrating AI’s suggestions with the internal framework they’d already built through independent thinking.

— Think First, AI Second, By Ines Lee