A recent study from MIT has raised red flags for educators worldwide. It suggests that students who rely on ChatGPT to write essays demonstrate significantly less critical thinking than those who write manually or even use search engines.

In the study, 54 students were divided into three groups-one using ChatGPT, one using search engines, and one writing from memory. Brain activity measured by EEG showed reduced neural connectivity in the ChatGPT group. Alarmingly, 80% of those students couldn’t even recall what they wrote.

Educators observed that AI-generated essays, while grammatically correct, lacked creativity, insight, and emotional depth. This raises concerns about the long-term impact of using AI tools on learning and brain development.

However, researchers clarified that AI doesn’t make people “dumber”-it’s about how it’s used. When guided properly, AI can assist learning instead of replacing thinking.

The takeaway: AI is a powerful tool, but it should support education, not replace it. Students must learn to think first-then type.