Latest news with #Ajinkya
Indian Express
24-06-2025
- Science
- Indian Express
Does ChatGPT dull your thinking skills? New MIT study shows why brains of youngsters are at risk
Your child may just lose the power of imagination to paint, words to express themselves and the ability to emote if they continue to use ChatGPT for their daily activities. Such overdependence, according to the latest study by MIT's Media Lab, erodes critical thinking skills, memory and creativity, especially in younger users. The study divided 54 subjects — 18 to 39-year-olds from the Boston area — into three groups, and asked them to write several essays using OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's search engine or nothing at all, respectively. Researchers used an EEG to record the writers' brain activity across 32 regions, and found that of the three groups, ChatGPT users had the lowest brain engagement. They 'consistently underperformed at neural, linguistic and behavioural levels.' Over the course of several months, ChatGPT users got lazier with each subsequent essay, often resorting to copy-and-paste by the end of the study. How does reliance on ChatGPT impact the brain? When individuals rely heavily on AI to generate content or answers, they tend to 'offload' cognitive efforts to the AI. This means they engage less in deep, reflective thinking, analysis and independent problem-solving. This may weaken the brain's ability to perform these tasks independently over time. The MIT study also noted that essays written with ChatGPT lacked original content and often consisted of copied and pasted responses with minimal editing. Users also reported a fragmented sense of authorship and difficulty recalling what they had written, suggesting a lack of internal integration with the material. How does over reliance on ChatGPT impact memory? Participants who used ChatGPT struggled to recall their own work, even when later asked to rewrite essays without the tool. This indicates that the information was not being deeply processed or integrated into their memory networks. This happens because of the reduced inclination to critically evaluate the AI's output. This can also lead to an 'echo chamber effect' where thoughts are subtly shaped by AI's probabilistic guesses based on its training data rather than independent reasoning. Why ChatGPT at best be a complementary learning tool Earlier studies have shown how AI, when used as a complement to human thinking rather than a replacement, enhances learning. In the MIT study, too, it was seen that the 'brain-only' group, when later given access to ChatGPT for a rewrite, demonstrated increased cognitive activity, implying that AI can be beneficial if foundational thinking is already in place. The consensus seems to be that AI tools like ChatGPT are powerful assistants, but they should not become 'cognitive crutches.' The integration of AI in education necessitates the cultivation of new competencies, including the ability to discern the limitations and potential biases of AI-generated content and to use AI tools effectively as aids in one's critical thinking processes. (Dr Ajinkya is psychiatrist, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Mumbai)
Hindustan Times
25-04-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Moeen takes inspiration from MI, says KKR can also turn things around
Kolkata, Kolkata Knight Riders may be struggling at the moment with just three wins in eight matches, but spin-bowling all-rounder Moeen Ali believes the defending champions have what it takes to make a turnaround and make the playoffs of IPL 2025. KKR's much-hyped batting line-up has failed to live up to expectations as the team slipped to seventh position in the standings. With six games left, they must win at least five to stand a chance of making the playoffs. "Yes definitely . If you look at history, even Mumbai had a bad start and now they've won four in a row and they're flying. We need to have that same mindset. We're halfway through, we have to win most of our games," Moeen said on the eve of their clash against Punjab Kings here. "This squad has shown it can go on a run. But it's going to take a lot of determination and belief to do that." KKR's batting failures have hurt the team with Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, and Ramandeep Singh struggling to finish games. In their last match against PBKS in Mullanpur, they were cruising at 62/2 in a 112-run chase but collapsed, losing eight wickets for just 33 runs. Before that, chasing 239 against Lucknow Super Giants, KKR fell just four runs short after a dramatic collapse from a strong position. "It was not so long ago where we almost chased 240, so we did play well in between. It's about having the mindset where you kind of fool yourself into thinking you're playing well and just go all out," Moeen said. "Because the way we batted in the last two games, we're not going to win many. We need to go out there, express ourselves, and just have a bit more fun. Sometimes from the outside, it seems the pressure is too much on players, but it's about taking that off and showing your skills." Despite the inconsistencies, Moeen is optimistic about the team's potential. "The real strength is we have guys who can go ultra-aggressive like Sunil Narine, and also classical players like Ajinkya , who's in red-hot form. Angkrish is doing brilliantly, and then there's Venky , Rinku , myself, Russell everything is there. "We genuinely have one of the stronger batting lineups in the competition. Some players like Angkrish and Ajinkya have done well, but as a unit, we haven't clicked. It's just a matter of turning it around." Having been in and out of the side, Moeen admitted that he has a better perspective at this stage of his career. "To be honest, if I was younger and still playing international cricket regularly, it would have been a lot harder. But now, it's about mindset. I prepare like I'm playing every game. When I get the call, I'm ready. Before I came here, I didn't expect to play too many games anyway, so playing four already is a positive from a personal point of view." Reflecting on their previous loss to PBKS, Moeen said the collapse boiled down to one bad phase. "It was literally a bad half an hour or 40 minutes." Yuzvendra Chahal was the match-winner in that game with a four-wicket haul, triggering a KKR collapse as they were all out for 95 in a chase of 112. "The guys have played Chahal many times and done well. He had a brilliant day, and we didn't play him well at all. But you either go in thinking he'll destroy you again, or you take him on with confidence. "Hopefully, we do the latter. He's a very, very good bowler, but before that game, he was also struggling a bit. Confidence can turn in one innings, so maybe it'll turn our way this time."
