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Generative AI's Power Sparks Fears of Dumbing Humans Down
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia /Technology

Generative AI's Power Sparks Fears of Dumbing Humans Down

From Asharq Al-Awsat · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Generative AI tools like ChatGPT can write emails, code, and more, raising concerns about potential negative impacts on human cognitive abilities.
  • Studies suggest that while AI can improve short-term performance, it may diminish long-term learning, persistence, and critical thinking skills.
  • The adaptability of generative AI across various intellectual tasks, unlike specialized tools like calculators, makes its potential impact on cognitive offloading particularly significant.

Generative AI chatbots, capable of tasks ranging from composing emails to writing computer code and planning trips, are now widely accessible. This proliferation prompts questions about whether human intelligence might decline due to reduced cognitive effort.

These findings are particularly concerning because persistence is foundational to skill acquisition and is one of the strongest predictors of long-term learning.

— authors of American-British studyreferring to the long-term impact of using AI tools on learning and persistence.

Recent scientific research indicates potential harm from outsourcing cognitive tasks to AI. Memory, decision-making, and critical thinking are identified as particularly vulnerable areas. One study found that while AI tools boosted performance on arithmetic and reading comprehension exercises in the short term, they ultimately lowered results and reduced participants' willingness to persist when the tools were unavailable. The study authors noted that persistence is fundamental to skill acquisition and a strong predictor of long-term learning.

AI's ability to conjure up speedy responses to all kinds of questions "removes learning opportunities" from users.

— Grace Liuexplaining the potential negative impact of AI on skill acquisition.

AI's ability to provide rapid answers to diverse questions "removes learning opportunities" for users, according to Grace Liu, the lead author of the study and a doctoral student at Carnegie Mellon University. She highlighted that AI's broad applicability across nearly any intellectual, reasoning, or cognitive activity distinguishes it from earlier technological aids like electronic calculators, which left the core reasoning process to humans.

What makes AI particularly concerning is that it's not a tool designated for one specific kind of activity. It's something that can be used across pretty much any intellectual, reasoning, and cognitive activity.

— Grace Liuhighlighting the broad applicability and unique nature of generative AI.

Research, including a viral 2025 MIT study, suggests students using generative AI for essays exhibit diminished critical thinking. This phenomenon, termed "cognitive offloading" or "cognitive surrender," aligns with a natural human tendency to conserve energy. Johann Chevalere, a researcher at France's CNRS, explained that people often seek quicker strategies, avoiding deep information processing due to its cognitive cost. Generative AI could exacerbate this tendency, as the brain may not maintain unused cognitive connections.

Human beings have a strong tendency to save energy.

— Johann Chevalereexplaining the psychological basis for cognitive offloading.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Asharq Al-Awsat in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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