Science Weekly Is AI making us stupid?
51 snips
Dec 2, 2025 Sam Gilbert, a cognitive neuroscience professor at University College London, dives into the fascinating intersection of AI and human cognition. He discusses how AI's efficiency could dampen our critical thinking and problem-solving skills. With evidence from MRI studies, he explains how cognitive offloading shifts our memory priorities. The conversation also explores concepts like 'digital amnesia' and 'desirable difficulty', debating when technology enhances versus hinders our learning. Ultimately, Gilbert advocates for intentional cognitive engagement in a tech-driven world.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
ChatGPT Linked To Lower Cognitive Engagement
- MIT researchers found students using ChatGPT showed lower brain connectivity and weaker recall for their essays.
- The study's authors called this accumulation a "cognitive debt" from offloading thinking to AI.
Host Admits To Digital Amnesia
- Madeleine Finlay admits she has outsourced memory to her phone and struggles to remember things.
- She used this personal experience to motivate her investigation into cognitive offloading.
Offloading Reprioritises Memory, Not Erases It
- Sam Gilbert explains cognitive offloading is long-standing and allows the brain to prioritise limited resources.
- Offloading shifts which information we store internally but doesn't prove overall memory harm.