Studies Find 10 Minutes of AI Help Can Weaken Math, Reading and Writing Skills
Updated
Updated · TIME · May 19
Studies Find 10 Minutes of AI Help Can Weaken Math, Reading and Writing Skills
8 articles · Updated · TIME · May 19
A U.S.-U.K. study found that about 10 minutes of AI help on math and reading tasks left users performing worse unaided and giving up faster than people who worked without AI.
An MIT-led study reported a similar pattern in writing: ChatGPT-assisted essay writers underperformed on neural, linguistic and behavioral measures, struggled to recall what they had written, and later wrote worse without AI.
Researchers link the effect to cognitive offloading—shifting reasoning and memory to external tools—with some warning generative AI goes further by delivering polished answers that can short-circuit persistence and critical thought.
Skeptics say AI may rebalance rather than simply reduce cognition, weakening overused skills while building others such as evaluating chatbot output, much as calculators eventually aided learning when introduced after core skills formed.
The debate is intensifying as AI spreads through classrooms and workplaces, with researchers urging caution—especially for children and education—until clearer evidence shows how to use the tools without eroding foundational thinking.
Is AI a shortcut to cognitive decline, or a tool for unlocking deeper human thought?
As AI erodes old skills, what new human abilities must we develop to stay relevant?
AI’s $2 Trillion Transformation: How Rapid Adoption Threatens Human Skills and Equity in Learning and Work
Overview
The report highlights how the rapid and costly integration of AI into daily life and work is transforming society, with worldwide spending projected to exceed $2 trillion by 2026. This intense focus on AI brings clear benefits like greater efficiency and personalized support, but it also leads to the deprioritization of investments in human development and critical thinking education. As AI tools become more widespread, their immediate adoption offers convenience but comes with significant cognitive costs, raising concerns about the long-term impact on essential human skills and the need for a balanced approach to technology and learning.