Microsoft Study Details How The Overuse Of AI May Lead To Cognitive Atrophy

Artificial Intelligence is everywhere these days, and the level of investment in in the technology means it will only become more prevalent as time goes on. With many people already using tools such as ChatGPT as they go about their daily lives, is it the best path forward, though? A new study by Microsoft that surveyed knowledge workers, shows that a heavy reliance on AI can lead to some negative cognitive effects.

The study aimed to find what the effects the use of AI has on critical thinking, and the findings are concerning. Users who have more confidence in the performance of the AI tend to conduct less critical thinking, as they shift their focus to verifying the information produced is correct or ensuring a task is completed properly by the AI. The researchers point to prior studies showing that removing the opportunity to perform critical thinking will lead to a decline in this cognitive skill, leaving that person unprepared when it’s actually needed.


This should be a big red flag for this particular use of AI, because obviously less of a focus on critical thinking is not a desired outcome. This is especially concerning as more and more students use tools such as ChatGPT to help complete assignments or potentially during classroom instruction. These are transformative years in the development of a student's brain, because most tasks at school revolve around critical thinking. This could lead to a generation that is ill-prepared to participate in the modern workforce, which will affect both individuals as well as the companies that need skilled employees.

Unfortunately, the study didn’t involve finding any potential ways to counterbalance this loss in critical thinking, just that it’s a possible outcome for knowledge workers or anyone else who relies heavily on AI to complete tasks. Hopefully this spurs more studies into how this negative outcome of AI can be avoided.