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Double-edged sword of ChatGPT in daily life

THE EDITOR: A recent study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has cast a critical light on the growing use of artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT, particularly among students and professionals. The findings are striking: over four months, 54 students who engaged heavily with AI showed reduced brain activity, diminished memory recall, and less original thought – even when they weren’t using AI. It’s a wake-up call in a world where ChatGPT is quickly becoming the go-to assistant for writing, brainstorming, summarising, coding, planning, and even thinking. Let’s be clear – AI, when used wisely, is a powerful asset. For many users, especially those juggling multiple roles or navigating language and learning barriers, ChatGPT can level the playing field. It offers instant information, explains complex ideas in simple terms, and assists with everything from job applications to academic essays. In businesses, it can draft e-mails, generate reports, and spark creative marketing ideas within seconds. For educators, it can serve as a tutoring aid. For content creators, it can help brainstorm viral ideas or fix grammatical errors on the fly. This is the upside: AI empowers the under-resourced, saves time, and offers a 24/7 helping hand. Used responsibly, it boosts productivity and innovation. But here’s where the danger lies: convenience breeds dependence. MIT’s research warns that frequent AI users may suffer from “mental passivity” – a tendency to accept and repeat what the AI says without engaging deeply. Students using ChatGPT to write their essays often couldn’t remember or explain what they wrote. The result? A subtle erosion of critical thinking and original expression. This mental outsourcing can be especially harmful for young minds still developing core cognitive skills. The more we rely on AI to do the thinking for us, the less we exercise our intellectual muscles. What’s worse, the algorithmic nature of AI means it often reinforces mainstream ideas and suppresses outliers. In this way, ChatGPT can unintentionally create “echo chambers” of information – limiting diverse thinking instead of expanding it. The takeaway isn’t to stop using ChatGPT. Rather, we must shift how we use it. AI should support the human mind, not replace it. It should help us refine our thoughts, not think for us. Just as calculators didn’t kill maths but changed how we approach it, ChatGPT should enhance our thinking – not hollow it out. We must teach users, especially students, to challenge AI-generated content, to cross-reference, to inject their own voice, and to build on what the machine suggests. Critical thinking, creativity, and emotional intelligence remain irreplaceably human. ChatGPT is a tool. A powerful one. But like any tool, it can either sharpen our skills or dull them – depending on how we use it. MIT’s study is not a call to fear AI, but a reminder: don’t let convenience replace consciousness. Let AI assist, but let your brain lead. SIMON WRIGHT Chaguanas The post Double-edged sword of ChatGPT in daily life appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.