WATCH — Is ChatGPT making us smarter or dumber? Kids, teens weigh in

CBC

4 days ago

Experts say AI can have benefits, but also downsides
Are we getting dumber the more we rely on AI tools like ChatGPT?
Frankly, at this point in history, it's hard to know.
With AI growing at breakneck speed and becoming a bigger part of our lives, it's an important question to consider.
Over the past year, we've talked to some experts who say that the rise of AI is inevitable in classrooms and other places, and the sooner we embrace it, the better.
They've argued that AI could make us better and more efficient learners by taking on more tedious tasks, allowing us more time to focus on other things.
AI to have 'massive impact' in schools, say experts. Here are the pros and cons
That said, a recent study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) says relying too much on AI could harm our ability to think and learn.
In fact, the authors thought the implications of the study were so important, they released it before it could be peer reviewed.
The peer review process is an important part of scientific research. It's when researchers not involved in a study weigh in on it to verify that the science was done well and can be trusted.
But the authors said the peer review process takes a lot of time — anywhere from four months to two years — and considering how quickly AI is developing, they said they didn't want to wait that long to release their findings.
With that said, it's important to keep in mind that this study hasn't had as much scrutiny as most published research.
This kid is already using AI for school. Are you? Let us know how
To be clear, the MIT researchers weren't trying to find out if using AI makes you smarter or dumber. Instead, they wanted to know if it could affect our brain activity and learning skills.
For the study, they asked three groups of people to write essays.
One group got to use ChatGPT, another got to use a search engine, and the last had to rely solely on their own brains and smarts.
The group who used AI tools showed less brain activity and weren't able to remember what they had written as well as the other groups.
Still, it's just one study, and many more are required to get an answer to this big question.
But while we wait for more research, let's take a look at what teens think about the issue.
Check out the video below to find out if teens in Montreal, Quebec, think AI tools are making us dumber. ⬇️⬇️⬇️