So apparently some MIT scientists1 decided to strap sensors to students’ heads and watch their brains while they wrote essays. Because that’s totally not weird at all.
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The Great Brain Experiment
They split students into three groups. Group one got to use AI writing tools (what do you think will happen?), group two could Google stuff but had to actually write their own words (how quaint), and group three went full caveman mode with just their brains and maybe a pen.
After watching everyone’s neural fireworks for three sessions, the researchers pulled a classic switcheroo. They yanked AI away from the kids who’d gotten used to it and handed it to the brain-only group. Cruel? Maybe. Scientifically interesting? Absolutely.
Plot Twist: Your Brain is Lazy
Here’s where it gets interesting. The students writing without any digital crutches had brains that were basically doing CrossFit - firing on all cylinders, making connections, really putting in the work. The search group was doing moderate cardio, while the AI users? Their brains were practically napping. Weak signals, minimal effort, basically the neural equivalent of ordering takeout every night.
But wait, there’s more! When they took AI away from the students who’d been using it, those brains didn’t just snap back to attention. Nope, they stayed in lazy mode for a while. Meanwhile, the students who got AI for the first time didn’t suddenly become writing gods - they ended up somewhere in the middle, like someone who just discovered the snooze button.
The “Wait, Did I Write This?” Problem
Students who wrote everything themselves felt proud of their work. Shocking, I know. But the AI users felt about as connected to their essays as I feel to my high school yearbook photo. Some couldn’t even remember quotes from their own papers. That’s like forgetting the punchline to a joke you just told.
Over four months, the AI group consistently scored lower on brain activity, writing quality, and confidence. It’s like their brains were on a very slow, very comfortable decline.
The Uncomfortable Truth
Look, I love efficiency as much as the next person. AI can definitely save time when you’re staring at a blank page at 2 AM. But this research is basically saying “Hey, maybe your brain needs to do some actual work occasionally.”
It’s like having a personal trainer who does all your pushups for you. Sure, you’ll get through the workout faster, but you’re not exactly getting stronger. And apparently, when it comes to thinking and writing, our brains are getting a little too comfortable letting the machines do the heavy lifting.
The takeaway? Use AI when you need it, but maybe don’t let it become your brain’s substitute. Unless you’re cool with your neural pathways turning into the mental equivalent of a couch potato. Your call.
What They Might Have Missed
But here’s the thing - this study looked at essay writing in isolation. What if you’re using AI to knock out that English assignment quickly so you can spend more time on the math problems you actually love? You’re still building neural pathways, just different ones. Maybe AI helps people who aren’t passionate about essays focus their brain power where it matters most to them.
We’re already living in a world full of shortcuts. Cars replaced walking, but people still choose to walk (some even pay gym memberships to walk on treadmills, which is beautifully absurd). The key is choice and self-motivation. If you want to let AI do all your thinking, sure, that’s an option. But if you use your brain with AI as a tool, you could end up way ahead of the game.
The real question isn’t whether someone will get lazy with AI - it’s what they do with the time they save. Will they scroll Instagram, or will they use that extra bandwidth to experiment, create, and build things they never could before because they didn’t have the knowledge or time?
People who already know how to write will always write better essays and poetry than AI. But AI might help others express ideas they couldn’t before, or learn things faster. The danger isn’t the tool - it’s turning it into a crutch that does all your thinking for you.
But hey, that’s your call.
I still think you don’t outsource the most valuable skill you have.