I hope you have a chance to read the story, but if not, here are a few highlights.
“Brain rot” is a problematic term. The study that got lots of attention recently, “Your Brain on ChatGPT,” fueled fears that using AI in writing may weaken our thinking. Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology did, in fact, find lower neural connectivity among writers who used ChatGPT to complete an essay versus those who didn’t. And that does suggest they weren’t as engaged in the writing process, which is a problem. But our brains aren’t like muscles that get stronger or weaker; they are always working. Yes, we can build certain skills with practice. But if we outsource some things to AI that doesn’t mean our overall ability to think critically will decline. That said …
We don’t know the longer-term effects (yet) of AI use. Generative AI hasn’t been around long enough for researchers to do longitudinal studies on how it is shaping us. Extensive AI use is even more recent. Plus, is it possible to isolate the effects of AI on our thinking when it is all around us? That’s a question weighing on teaching experts and researchers.
Details matter. I reported on several studies involving AI tutors that had varying results. Why did one AI tutor show positive results for student learning and others show negative or neutral results? One possibility is that some tutors are designed to be more active, pressing students to think through a problem or providing additional resources to help them learn complicated concepts. Just calling something an AI tutor, in short, doesn’t tell you much about how well it might work.
AI use can push people toward homogenized thinking. In addition to less engagement in their own writing, users of ChatGPT in the MIT study also demonstrated more convergence in their thinking, suggesting that AI was shaping their beliefs. That, the authors said, was disconcerting because the writers also felt that their essays were their own. Other studies I mention in the story have also reached similar findings about homogeneity in thinking among AI users.
Qualitative studies are needed, too. Looking at how AI shapes our ability to write or learn scientific concepts is important, of course. But so is understanding how we think about AI. Some researchers are looking at how AI use is shaping students’ relationships with their professors and each other.
I’d like to continue the conversation around research on AI’s effect on learning. Have you come across a good study? Please share it with me and I may share it with readers. And if there are questions you have about AI’s effects on learning, let me know. You can reach me at beth.mcmurtrie@chronicle.com.
Is AI making students lonelier?
In a recent essay in The Chronicle Review, two faculty members at St. John’s College argue that the real danger of AI isn’t that students will cheat with it, but that it will fundamentally change relationships on campus. Now that some of the big generative AI tools offer a “study mode” feature, students may turn to it for help instead of each other or their professors.
“That is the threat that AI increasingly poses to higher education today: not that it will steal our words, but that it will steal our ability to think and work together,” write Khafiz Kerimov and Nicholas Bellinson.
I’ve been wondering about this myself, ever since reporting this story on how students are using AI in college. As one student told me, it has made the experience more solitary.
Are you finding that AI is changing the dynamics in your classrooms? Do you find students less willing to get together after class, come to office hours, or speak up in class? If so, write to me at beth.mcmurtrie@chronicle.com. I’d like to hear from you.
Like our podcast?
College Matters from The Chronicle, our weekly podcast about all things higher ed, has been named a finalist in the education category of the Signal Awards, an annual competition that recognizes excellence in the podcast medium. If you listen to and like the show, please support us by voting here for College Matters in the Listener’s Choice awards. Both Beckie and I have been on the podcast, discussing teaching.
Thanks for reading Teaching. If you have suggestions or ideas, please feel free to email us at beth.mcmurtrie@chronicle.com or beckie.supiano@chronicle.com.
Learn more at our Teaching newsletter archive page.
