๐๐จ, ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง ๐๐จ๐๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ ๐๐๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐. | Nataliya Kosmyna, Ph.D
๐๐จ, ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง ๐๐จ๐๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ ๐๐๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐.
See our paper for more results:ย "Your Brain on ChatGPT: Accumulation of Cognitive Debt when Using an AI Assistant for Essay Writing Task" (link in the comments).
For 4 months, 54 students were divided into three groups: ChatGPT, Google -ai, and Brain-only. Across 3 sessions, each wrote essays on SAT prompts. In an optional 4th session, participants switched: LLM users used no tools (LLM-to-Brain), and Brain-only group used ChatGPT (Brain-to-LLM).
๐
๐. ๐๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐๐ง๐ญ
- LLM Group: Essays were highly homogeneous within each topic, showing little variation. Participants often relied on the same expressions or ideas.
- Brain-only Group: Diverse and varied approaches across participants and topics.
- Search Engine Group: Essays were shaped by search engine-optimized content; their ontology overlapped with the LLM group but not with the Brain-only group.
๐๐. ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ (๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ฏ๐ฌ. ๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐)
- Teachersย detected patterns typical of AI-generated content and scoring LLM essays lower for originality and structure.
- AI Judgeย gave consistently higher scores to LLM essays, missing human-recognized stylistic traits.
๐๐๐: ๐๐๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ
Connectivity: Brain-only group showed the highest neural connectivity, especially in alpha, theta, and delta bands. LLM users had the weakest connectivity, up to 55% lower in low-frequency networks. Search Engine group showed high visual cortex engagement, aligned with web-based information gathering.
๐บ๐๐๐๐๐๐ 4 ๐น๐๐๐๐๐๐:
- LLM-to-Brain (๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ง ) participantsย underperformed cognitively with reduced alpha/beta activity and poor content recall.
- Brain-to-LLM (๐ง ๐ง ๐ง ๐ค) participantsย showed strong re-engagement, better memory recall, and efficient tool use.
LLM-to-Brain participants had potential limitations in achieving robust neural synchronization essential for complex cognitive tasks.
Results forย Brain-to-LLM participantsย suggest that strategic timing of AI tool introduction following initial self-driven effort may enhance engagement and neural integration.
๐๐. ๐๐๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ข๐จ๐ซ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ
- Quoting Ability: LLM users failed to quote accurately, while Brain-only participants showed robust recall and quoting skills.
- Ownership: Brain-only group claimed full ownership of their work; LLM users expressed either no ownership or partial ownership.
- Critical Thinking: Brain-only participants cared more aboutย ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ข๐ตย andย ๐ธ๐ฉ๐บย they wrote; LLM users focused onย ๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ธ.
- Cognitive Debt: Repeated LLM use led to shallow content repetition and reduced critical engagement. This suggests a buildup of "cognitive debt", deferring mental effort at the cost of long-term cognitive depth.
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#MIT #AI #Brain #Neuroscience #CognitiveDebt | 54 comments on LinkedIn