A new study by researchers at MIT Media Lab has examined how the use of AI tools affects thinking and learning during writing tasks. The research analysed the impact of OpenAI’s ChatGPT while participants wrote essays. Researchers monitored brain activity and compared it with participants who used search engines or no digital tools. The study involved 54 participants and was conducted over several months. According to the findings, participants who relied on AI tools showed lower neural engagement and weaker memory recall compared with those who wrote essays without assistance.
Study conducted across universities
The research included participants recruited from several universities in the Boston area.
Participants were drawn from institutions including Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Wellesley College, Harvard University, Tufts University, and Northeastern University.
Each participant attended three sessions where they wrote essays within a 20-minute time limit while their brain activity was recorded. Some participants returned for a fourth session where their writing conditions were changed.
It must be noted that the research is currently available as a preprint and is under review.
Study examined essay writing with and without AI tools
The study explored how large language models (LLMs) influence cognitive engagement during writing tasks. Researchers divided participants into three groups. One group used ChatGPT to help write essays, another group used traditional search engines, and a third group wrote essays without any digital tools.
Participants attended three main sessions where they wrote essays based on prompts taken from SAT-style topics. In a fourth session, some participants switched tools. Those who previously used AI were asked to write without tools, while participants who initially wrote without tools were allowed to use AI.
Researchers used electroencephalography (EEG) to measure brain activity during the writing process. They also analysed the essays using natural language processing techniques and collected feedback through interviews with participants.
Brain activity varied across different groups
The research found that brain connectivity patterns differed depending on the tools used during writing. Participants who wrote essays without external assistance showed the strongest neural engagement.
Those using search engines displayed moderate levels of engagement. Participants who relied on AI tools demonstrated the lowest levels of neural connectivity during the task.
According to the study, brain connectivity “scaled down with the amount of external support.” This suggests that the more assistance participants used during writing, the lower their brain network activity during the task.
AI users showed weaker memory recall
The study also examined how well participants remembered what they had written. Researchers asked participants to quote sentences from their essays shortly after completing the task.
Participants who used AI tools had significantly more difficulty recalling their own writing. In one session, 83.3 percent of AI-assisted participants failed to correctly quote from their essays, while participants in the search engine and brain-only groups showed much higher recall ability.
Researchers also reported that participants who relied heavily on AI often felt less ownership of the essays they produced.
Source: https://www.media.mit.edu/publications/your-brain-on-chatgpt/
