The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett

ChatGPT Brain Rot Debate: The Fastest Way to Get Dementia, Watch This Before Using ChatGPT Again, Especially If Your Kids Use It!

2038 snips
Aug 18, 2025
Dr. Daniel Amen, a leading psychiatrist and founder of Amen Clinics, teams up with Dr. Terry Sejnowski, a trailblazer in computational neuroscience. They dive into alarming findings about how AI, particularly ChatGPT, might be shrinking our brains and stunting emotional growth in children. Their discussion touches on the dangers of seeking perfection in AI-driven relationships and highlights the compelling need for brain reserve as a defense against cognitive decline. Listeners learn practical tips to safeguard their brain health in an AI-saturated world.
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AI Lowers Immediate Neural Engagement

  • MIT found ChatGPT use led to large drops in brain activity and memory compared with writing unaided.
  • The study suggests outsourcing thinking can reduce neural engagement and lingering cognitive debt.
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Brain Reserve Delays Cognitive Decline

  • Lifelong learning and higher education delay Alzheimer’s onset by building brain reserve.
  • Less cognitive effort over time weakens neurons and raises dementia risk via a 'use it or lose it' effect.
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Tools Free Capacity But Don’t Guarantee Growth

  • Tools like calculators reduced cognitive effort but increased productivity and accuracy.
  • The net brain effect depends on whether users interact and repurpose freed cognitive capacity.
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