A new study from MIT says using AI tools like ChatGPT too much might hurt your brain and emotions, especially for young people.
The study had 54 people aged 18 to 39. They were put into three groups:
- One group used ChatGPT,
- One group used Google,
- One group wrote without using any tools.
Scientists checked their brain activity during writing using a special machine (EEG). They saw that people who used ChatGPT had less brain activity, especially in parts that help with memory and focus.
The researchers said: “While tools like ChatGPT significantly boost productivity, overreliance may make users mentally passive.”
This means ChatGPT helps you work faster, but using it too much might make your brain lazy.
They also noticed that people who used ChatGPT became slower over time and just started copying and pasting text instead of thinking and writing themselves.
The study said that using AI too often might make it harder for people to learn and remember things. Young people are more at risk. But they also said this was a small study and not published in a big science journal yet.
The researchers added: “This is an early signal, but one we shouldn’t ignore… Understanding how AI influences long-term brain development is crucial, especially for young users who interact with these systems frequently.”
Another study by MIT looked at how people feel when they talk to ChatGPT, using text or voice, for four weeks.
That study found that using ChatGPT too much made people feel more lonely — especially those who talked through text and shared personal problems with it. These people started depending on ChatGPT emotionally.
Talking with ChatGPT using voice was a little better than using text, but still caused emotional attachment.
This means AI tools can make life easier, but they may quietly change how we think and feel.
