The hidden cost of AI: Cognitive lethargy
The use of AI-generated large language models experienced a significant global surge in 2025. Hundreds of millions of people worldwide use these tools daily for academic, personal, and professional purposes. Considering the rapid growth and development of AI, it becomes crucial to understand the cognitive implications of the widespread use of LLMs in educational and informational contexts. Today, there is substantial evidence-based research to show that, although it enhances the accessibility and personalization of education, the prolonged and frequent use of AI tools for information reduces people's critical thinking capacity. So, the integration of LLMs in learning ecosystems presents a complex duality.
Recently, the research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has raised concerns for the education sector, educators, and learners. The study suggests that the increased use of AI systems may raise serious concerns regarding human intellectual development and autonomy. The usage of LLMs provides users with singular responses that will inadvertently discourage lateral thinking and independent judgment. Instead of becoming seekers of knowledge, we are leaning towards passive consumption of AI-generated content. In the long run, this world will lead to superficial engagement, weakened critical thinking, and less long-term memory formation, as well as a shallower understanding of the material. This will lead to a decrease in decision-making skills, and it will create a false perception that learning is effortless and simplified, decreasing student motivation and reducing the interest in individual research.
The increased use of ChatGPT will affect student learning, performance, perception of learning, and impact higher-order thinking. The MIT research suggests that while AI tools can enhance productivity, they may also promote a form of meta-cognition laziness. The fundamental principle of research inquiry is compromised as students rely heavily on digital tools for information gathering. The students will fall prey to Echo Chambers, where users of ChatGPT become trapped in self-reinforcing information bubbles, filtering out contradictory evidence. Echo Chambers can impact the foundation of academic discourse and debate. Furthermore, the sophisticated functioning of the algorithms leaves the users unaware of information gaps in the research, degrading the standard of scholarly outcomes.
These research findings have many implications for various stakeholders in the education sector and beyond. The role of the professor is evolving from a source of knowledge to a facilitator and guide. The curriculum must be adapted to digital literacy and changing patterns with a focus on security and safety. The technological developments call for monitoring academic integrity. Students must adopt a balanced approach to protect their higher-order thinking.
Artificial intelligence is here to stay and will impact all sectors, creating new career opportunities and displacing traditional employment pathways. Evidence suggests that if left unchecked, the world risks turning learners into mere editors of AI-generated text, rather than actual creators and thinkers. While advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence, have immense potential and offer unprecedented opportunities for enhancing human learning and access to vast volumes of information, they also have the power to impact cognitive development, long-term memory building, and intellectual independence, and demand caution and critical consideration.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Observer
a day ago
- Observer
Dear AI, how am I doing?
The ever-growing role of AI reminds one of the time when the word 'automatic' came into existence, and it was the word most used to describe everything from watches to vehicles. If one had to wind the watch in the past, it was an automatic quartz now. If it is a device, then the term automatic would indicate that it could switch off automatically without human interference, just like a microwave with a timer or a kettle. Of course, the word automatically also means spontaneously. From all that became automatic, which has been great for industrialisation, Artificial Intelligence is not just making work easier but might be taking away jobs. So the debate goes on. What we may not realise is how much people might already be depending on AI in their mobile phones and tablets. A friend of mine could not solve her skin ailment even after seeing a few skin specialists. The next thing she did seems to have given her comfort. She asked the AI what she should do, and there she was given suggestions, including lifestyle changes. She felt, finally, that someone was giving her hope and not just prescriptions and medications. The sentiment seemed similar to another friend who likes to ask AI how she is doing once in a while. So AI functions as a counsellor. The journal app on the phone often prompts, "Want to reflect on your day?" It is quite fun, actually, until we begin to wonder who else could be reading the journal. After all, the AI apps read everything that is available online to summarise or come to an opinion. There is another friend who likes to ask the AI what it has to say about him. He is often amazed at the details the AI has on him, including his gym membership. So does it mean our online lives are all recorded as data science continues to grow in importance, just like AI's role in global communication and interconnectivity in the business world? AI has made it all easy, whether it is natural language processing or image and audio recognition. The world of media has changed so much that we are at times confused about the authenticity of the videos. AI videos and images can be intriguing, but they have also opened doors to fake news, and validity is debatable. AI has definitely made us smarter in the way we operate our lifestyle, such as applying energy efficiency measures as well as saving time. And now it might just be able to break into loneliness. But is there a danger of being overdependent on AI? One obvious concern would be the lack of emotional intelligence. The AI might be able to provide the probabilities and logical answers, but emotion is very much human. No technology can substitute that. Time is so precious that it is probably the most expensive commodity that people may not have enough to spare. Maybe it is this lack of time that makes others turn towards technology to have a quiet conversation. Spare some time for someone who is seeking someone to listen to - it might be too much to ask while we rush through the daily challenges of life. But maybe it is time to consider giving time for others as an act of kindness. In today's world, everything has to make sense - especially economic sense. Wages are based on hours spent working, and I wonder if that is when time became a precious commodity. The reality, though, is that time became the most precious commodity because even money cannot buy time. Time lost is gone forever. As a friend put it, now is the time to start. To start, everything you have kept for tomorrow.
Observer
2 days ago
- Observer
SEZAD opens Duqm Summer Series with AI focus
BUSINESS REPORTER AL DUQ, JULY 28 The Special Economic Zone at Duqm (SEZAD) launches its Duqm Summer Series on August 5 with a focus on AI and automation, targeting the zone's growing business community. The opening session features Saeed Abdul Ghafoor, whose company Star Drones built TARIQ – Oman's first domestically manufactured drone using local materials. Star Drones has deployed their AI-powered drones over 19,000 acres of agricultural projects while developing applications spanning environmental monitoring to manufacturing. Ghafoor's experience is relevant to SEZAD-based companies who are implementing AI solutions throughout their operations but need practical guidance on expanding these initiatives. 'SEZAD-based companies are already successfully deploying AI solutions, but the real challenge lies in scaling these initiatives effectively,' explains Eng Ahmed Akaak, CEO, SEZAD. 'The Duqm Summer Series connects our tenant community with practitioners who've successfully made this transition - people who can share what worked, how they achieved it and what obstacles they overcame.' The potential for greater impact is substantial. The World Economic Forum's Global Lighthouse Network - 189 production facilities that have implemented AI - shows what systematic deployment can achieve: network members report 53% higher productivity and 26% lower costs. Beyond operational efficiency, AI implementation delivered 50% reductions in new product introduction times and substantial environmental benefits including 30% to 50% reduction in emissions and an average 30% reduction in material waste. For SEZAD, positioned between Europe, Asia and Africa such results create both opportunity and urgency. UNIDO research indicates that every manufacturing job generates more than two additional positions in other sectors, making technology adoption about broader economic development, not just efficiency. This focus on broader economic development shapes the Duqm Summer Series format. 'When a logistics manager learns supply chain strategies from someone in fisheries, or a renewable energy company shares workforce solutions with manufacturing executives, that's when real innovation happens,' notes Eng. Akaak. Each session runs for an hour starting at 1:00pm, combining presentations with discussions. Other sessions in the series continue this practical approach: workforce development with Development Bank's Auf Al Aufi (August 12), supply chain resilience featuring the Ministry of Transport, Communications & Information Technology's Nabeel Al Balushi (August 19) and workplace culture and wellbeing with Sultan Qaboos University's Dr. Aziza Al Sawafi (August 26). With SEZAD attracting RO 6 billion (US$15.5 billion) in cumulative investment commitments - a 55% increase on 2023 - the Duqm Summer Series addresses the day-to-day practical challenges facing the zone's businesses. 'Our tenants aren't just seeking cost advantages, they're tackling the key questions facing modern industry today: How do you move beyond AI pilots to systematic deployment? What does workforce development look like when technology changes rapidly? How do you build supply chain resilience in a fragmented world?' explains the SEZAD CEO. For SEZAD companies already implementing AI but seeking guidance on expansion, Ghafour's template could potentially provide the roadmap they need to unlock the productivity gains seen globally. To attend Duqm Summer Series please register:
Observer
3 days ago
- Observer
The hidden cost of AI: Cognitive lethargy
The world stands at a technological crossroads, with an unprecedented proliferation of large language models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT, drastically altering and reshaping the very essence of human existence. It has permeated the lives, homes, work, and play spaces of people. Over 378 million people worldwide are estimated to be active users of AI, including LLMs like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Copilot. The use of AI-generated large language models experienced a significant global surge in 2025. Hundreds of millions of people worldwide use these tools daily for academic, personal, and professional purposes. Considering the rapid growth and development of AI, it becomes crucial to understand the cognitive implications of the widespread use of LLMs in educational and informational contexts. Today, there is substantial evidence-based research to show that, although it enhances the accessibility and personalization of education, the prolonged and frequent use of AI tools for information reduces people's critical thinking capacity. So, the integration of LLMs in learning ecosystems presents a complex duality. Recently, the research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has raised concerns for the education sector, educators, and learners. The study suggests that the increased use of AI systems may raise serious concerns regarding human intellectual development and autonomy. The usage of LLMs provides users with singular responses that will inadvertently discourage lateral thinking and independent judgment. Instead of becoming seekers of knowledge, we are leaning towards passive consumption of AI-generated content. In the long run, this world will lead to superficial engagement, weakened critical thinking, and less long-term memory formation, as well as a shallower understanding of the material. This will lead to a decrease in decision-making skills, and it will create a false perception that learning is effortless and simplified, decreasing student motivation and reducing the interest in individual research. The increased use of ChatGPT will affect student learning, performance, perception of learning, and impact higher-order thinking. The MIT research suggests that while AI tools can enhance productivity, they may also promote a form of meta-cognition laziness. The fundamental principle of research inquiry is compromised as students rely heavily on digital tools for information gathering. The students will fall prey to Echo Chambers, where users of ChatGPT become trapped in self-reinforcing information bubbles, filtering out contradictory evidence. Echo Chambers can impact the foundation of academic discourse and debate. Furthermore, the sophisticated functioning of the algorithms leaves the users unaware of information gaps in the research, degrading the standard of scholarly outcomes. These research findings have many implications for various stakeholders in the education sector and beyond. The role of the professor is evolving from a source of knowledge to a facilitator and guide. The curriculum must be adapted to digital literacy and changing patterns with a focus on security and safety. The technological developments call for monitoring academic integrity. Students must adopt a balanced approach to protect their higher-order thinking. Artificial intelligence is here to stay and will impact all sectors, creating new career opportunities and displacing traditional employment pathways. Evidence suggests that if left unchecked, the world risks turning learners into mere editors of AI-generated text, rather than actual creators and thinkers. While advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence, have immense potential and offer unprecedented opportunities for enhancing human learning and access to vast volumes of information, they also have the power to impact cognitive development, long-term memory building, and intellectual independence, and demand caution and critical consideration.
