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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 12, 2026

High-definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation over Right Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex to Enhance Metacognitive Sensitivity

High-definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation over Right Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex to Enhance Metacognitive Sensitivity

Published on: September 26, 2025

Is AI making us stupid?

Trent N Cash¹, Megan O Kelly², Brooke N Macnamara³

¹Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.

Trends in Cognitive Sciences

|July 9, 2026

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Artificial intelligence (AI) use may hinder skill development and cause skill decay by offloading cognitive tasks. However, the extent of cognitive erosion depends heavily on specific AI applications and usage patterns.

Keywords:

artificial intelligence cognitive offloading human-AI interaction skill acquisition skill decay

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 12, 2026

High-definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation over Right Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex to Enhance Metacognitive Sensitivity

High-definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation over Right Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex to Enhance Metacognitive Sensitivity

Published on: September 26, 2025

Area of Science:

Cognitive science
Human-computer interaction
Artificial intelligence ethics

Background:

Growing concerns exist regarding the potential negative impacts of artificial intelligence (AI) on human cognitive abilities.
Offloading cognitive tasks to AI tools is becoming increasingly prevalent across various domains.

Purpose of the Study:

To examine the evidence on how AI use affects human cognition, specifically skill acquisition and decay.
To explore the factors influencing the risks associated with AI-driven cognitive offloading.
To assess the potential resilience of fundamental human cognitive functions against AI-induced erosion.

Main Methods:

Literature review and synthesis of existing empirical evidence.
Analysis of theoretical frameworks on skill acquisition, cognitive load, and automation.
Discussion of case studies and experimental findings related to AI and cognition.

Main Results:

Evidence suggests that offloading cognitive tasks to AI can indeed impede the acquisition of new skills and contribute to the decay of existing ones.
The degree of negative impact is contingent upon the specific manner in which AI tools are integrated and utilized.
Certain basic cognitive abilities may exhibit a degree of resilience against erosion from AI use.

Conclusions:

While AI presents risks for cognitive skill erosion, these are not absolute and can be mitigated through mindful implementation.
Further research is needed to fully understand the long-term implications of AI on human cognition and to develop strategies for preserving cognitive health.