Are We Living in a Golden Age of Stupidity?
In an era where technology promises ease and efficiency, we must ask ourselves: are we sacrificing our cognitive abilities in the process? Recent research from the MIT Media Lab reveals that reliance on AI tools like ChatGPT may be diminishing our brain connectivity and memory retention. Participants using AI assistance in writing tasks exhibited significantly less brain activity associated with cognitive processing, raising concerns about the long-term implications of outsourcing our thinking to machines.
As we navigate this digital landscape, its crucial to recognize that our brains thrive on challenges and friction. The convenience of technology can lead to a stupidogenic society, where the ease of obtaining information undermines our ability to think critically and creatively. This phenomenon is echoed by educators worldwide, who worry that students are producing work without truly understanding the material.
The question remains: how do we strike a balance between leveraging technology for efficiency and maintaining our cognitive skills? As we embrace the future, lets not forget the importance of engaging our minds in meaningful ways.
Original source: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/oct/18/are-we-living-in-a-golden-age-of-stupidity-technology