“For this invention will produce forgetfulness in the minds of those who learn to use it, because they will not practice their memory. Their trust in writing, produced by external characters which are no part of themselves, will discourage the use of their own memory within them.”
— attributed to Socrates by Plato in Phaedrus
A study went viral earlier this week claiming that ChatGPT “erodes critical thinking.” The headline made the rounds with the usual commentary: our brains are rotting, and it’s the AI’s fault.
What does the research claim?
The study found that participants using ChatGPT to write SAT-style essays showed lower cognitive load, measured by EEG. Scary stuff.
But:
- The sample size was tiny—just 54 participants, with 18 in the ChatGPT group.
- The study hasn’t been peer-reviewed or replicated. (See “replication crisis in psychology.”)
- EEG is an indirect and limited measure of cognitive effort.
Writing about LLMs has become a spectator sport. People seize on anything that reinforces their priors, and early-stage research like this gets treated as settled fact.
The article closes with a warning about ChatGPT being used in kindergarten classrooms. Ah – “will no one think of the children?”.
I’m concerned about the long-term impact of LLMs too. But publishing preliminary research and then appealing to moral superiority does not encourage serious discussion.
Like Socrates, it is prudent to be cautious when embracing new technology. But, as history also bears out, sometimes technologies can be both disruptive and revolutionary.