ChatGPT Might Be Making Us Smarter But Only If We Use It Right

In a world moving at the speed of tech, artificial intelligence has become the default assistant for many of us whether we’re drafting emails, brainstorming ideas, or automating repetitive tasks. But a new MIT brain-scan study just raised a powerful question:

Is AI helping us think better, or just think less?

MIT’s research is the first of its kind to track brain activity in real time while users engaged with AI. The results? Eye-opening.

• 83% of participants using ChatGPT couldn’t recall what they’d written just minutes earlier.
• Brain activity dropped by 47% while using AI compared to those who wrote without it.
• Even after stopping, those who had relied on ChatGPT continued to show signs of reduced neural engagement.

In simple terms: AI made the task easier but dulled the user’s cognitive effort.

The Illusion of Productivity

Here’s the paradox.

ChatGPT made participants 60% faster at completing their tasks. That’s a big win on paper. But it also reduced mental effort by 32% which might be an even bigger loss over time.

MIT researchers observed that this efficiency came at a cost: decreased memory retention, lower comprehension, and a drop in original thinking.

Writers using AI often produced grammatically perfect content but their work was frequently described by educators as “robotic,” “soulless,” and “lacking nuance.”

That hits home.

We’re gaining speed… but maybe losing something more valuable in the process: the ability to think deeply.

Offloading Your Mind: A Silent Tradeoff

The study also found something more concerning. Even after the AI was turned off, participants who had used it continued to underperform compared to those who never used it at all.

That suggests this isn’t just about dependency. It’s about cognitive weakening a real shift in how our brains engage when we let machines think for us.

Speed is no substitute for intentional thinking.

This doesn’t mean we should ditch AI tools. Far from it. But it does mean we need to rethink how we use them.

Learning to Use AI Instead of Letting It Use You

As someone who deeply values creativity, clarity, and critical thinking not just in business, but in life this research resonates on a personal level.

I’ve used ChatGPT in multiple ways: to organize ideas, outline projects, or challenge my assumptions. It’s a phenomenal tool when used strategically. But I’ve also seen the flip side: the temptation to let it do the heavy lifting and call it “work.”

AI should be the compass, not the captain.

We get the best results when we start with our own thinking our own questions, values, and instincts and then use tools like ChatGPT to enhance, not replace, that process.

Just like a GPS doesn’t replace your sense of direction, AI shouldn’t replace your sense of purpose.

The Takeaway

MIT’s study isn’t a takedown of AI it’s a call to wake up.

We’re not just outsourcing tasks. We might be outsourcing our ability to think, reflect, and remember. And if we do that for too long, we risk losing the very edge that makes our ideas meaningful.

So as we move forward in this AI-driven world, here’s the shift we need:

• Use AI as a mirror, not a crutch.
• Let it challenge your ideas, not generate them wholesale.
• Treat it like a tool for learning not just output.

Final Thought

The future belongs to those who can think independently while working with machines, not under them.

If you’re using ChatGPT (or any AI tool), ask yourself:

Is this helping me learn… or letting me skip the learning?

The difference matters more than ever.

Let’s not forget: thinking is a muscle. If you don’t use it, you lose it.