How does artificial intelligence make humans stupid?

A new study has found that people who use AI tools at work are taking the easy way out by letting them think for them, and are losing their mental capacity in return.

The study, conducted by the American software company Microsoft, the developer of the artificial intelligence system Copilot AI, and which included more than 300 people working in cognitive jobs, revealed “a noticeable decrease in cognitive effort among many of those surveyed after they explained more than 900 examples of how they used artificial intelligence while doing their work.”

According to the study, which will be announced during the Association for Computing Machinery Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems in Yokohama, Japan, from April 26 to May 1, “the improper use of technology can lead to the deterioration of cognitive abilities that should be preserved,” according to what was reported by the German News Agency.

In other words, the use of AI could lead people to abandon difficult cognitive tasks such as strategizing and problem solving, and settle for routine tasks such as simply checking the outputs of AI tools, the study suggests.

“Generative AI has transformed critical thinking into simply checking information, consolidating answers, and managing tasks,” said the joint study team from Microsoft and Carnegie Mellon University, after evaluating the responses of workers who used AI tools like ChatGPT to perform tasks such as writing emails to their bosses or reviewing the performance of their colleagues.

(The Middle East)