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RTÉ News
5 days ago
- Science
- RTÉ News
Is AI making our brains lazy?
Have you ever googled something but couldn't remember the answer a short time later? Well, you're probably not alone. Multiple studies have shown that "digital amnesia" or the "Google effect" is a consequence of having information readily available at our fingertips. It happens because we don't commit the information to memory in the knowledge that we can easily look it up again. According to The Decision Lab, this bias exists not only for things we look up on internet search engines but for most information that is easily accessible on our computers or phones. For example, most of us can't remember friends, family members or work colleagues' phone numbers by heart. So how can we help our brains to remember information? "Writing is thinking," said Professor Barry O'Sullivan from the School of Computer Science & IT at UCC. Professor O'Sullivan believes there are learning benefits associated with Large Language Models (LLMs), but his view is that we should be applying a precautionary principle to them as its such early days. "If you're not the one doing the writing then you're not the one doing the thinking, so if you're a student or you're the employee, the writing really does need to be yours," he said. LLMs with chatbots or virtual assistant chatbots such as Gemini or ChatGPT, have been trained on enormous amounts of text and data and their systems are capable of understanding and generating human language. With these rapid advances in AI certain tasks are now easier, and when used effectively can save time and money, in our personal and working lives. However, there are concerns about critical thinking, creativity and problem solving. Some AI companies claim their models are capable of genuine reasoning, but there's ongoing debate over whether their "chain of thought" or "reasoning" is trustworthy. According to Professor Barry O'Sullivan, these claims "just aren't true." "These large language models don't reason the same way as human beings," he said. "They have pretty weak abilities to reason mathematically, to reason logically, so it really is the big stepping stone, but it's always been the big stepping stone in AI." he added. He cautions people and workers to use these tools as an assistant, and as a sometimes "unreliable assistant". Professor O'Sullivan also warns AI generated answers could contain a biased view of the world, that is when human brain power is needed to apply sense, reasoning and logic to the data. The Google Search Engine was launched in 1998 and is considered a narrow form of AI. Since then, there have been many studies highlighting how the "Google Effect" is a real phenomenon and its impact on how we remember and learn. Launches such as Open AI's chatbot ChatGPT, and more recently Google's AI Overviews and AI Mode search are all relatively new, meaning there has been less time to study the effects. A new study by researchers at the media lab at Massachusetts institute of Technology (MIT) "Your Brain on ChatGPT", divided 54 people aged 18 to 39 into three groups to write essays. One group used Open AI's ChatGPT, one used Google's Search Engine, and the remaining group used no tools; they had to rely purely on brain power. While it was a very small study and in a very specific location (Boston), it found that of the three groups, ChatGPT users had the lowest brain engagement. While in the brain-only group, researchers found they were more engaged and curious, and claimed ownership and expressed higher satisfaction with their essays. The study suggests the use of LLMs, such as ChatGPT which is what they used but is similar to other LLMs, could actually harm learning, especially for younger users. "The MIT study is one source, but there isn't any definitive evidence of that, however the growing amount of evidence does seem to be tipping on that side of the argument that the more we rely on very sophisticated reasoning systems that can automate the process of writing, the less we are thinking," said Professor O'Sullivan. "People should remember that writing is thinking, so when you when you give up the writing to somebody else, you're not thinking anymore and that does have a consequence." Is digital dependence shaping our brains? Whether in education or in the workplace, the use of AI is becoming increasingly prevalent. In a nutshell it does appear to be shaping our brains, but the debate continues over whether it's happening in a negative or a positive way. As a professor in UCC, Mr O'Sullivan ponders over whether table quizzes are as popular as they used to be, and how young people view need-to-know information. "You often hear students saying, "Well I don't really need to know that because if I was out on the job I'd Google it, and wouldn't that be just fine?" "It is to some extent fine for some pieces of information, but it's also important to know why the information is that way, or what the origin is, or why things are that way," Professor O'Sullivan said. There is a skill shift happening with how we and our brains engage with new technology. This is why human judgement and decision making is more important than ever according to Claire Cogan, behavioural scientist and founder of Behaviour Wise. "There is an effect (from AI) on how the brain learns, so there's an impact on brain health. Some of that is relevant to employers, and its very relevant to individuals," said Ms Cogan. AI is useful in the workplace when it can automate mundane or time-consuming tasks such as generating content and extracting key points from large amounts of data. Ms Cogan noted the theory is when people talk about the pluses and minuses, AI should free up time to allow people to do other things. "So as long as that balance is there, it's a good thing. If that balance isn't there, then it's simply going to have a negative impact," she stated. Referring to the MIT study, she assessed it found evidence that using AI can slow attention and have an impact on the working memory. "The brain will go for shortcuts, if there's an easier way to get to something, that's the way the brain will choose," said Ms Cogan. "However, there are still areas where human intelligence far outweighs anything AI can do, particularly around judgment and decision making, and they're going to become more and more important," she stated. "That's the side driven by people, so there's a whole new skill where people are going to have to learn how to judge when to use AI, how to use it, how to direct it, and how to manage it," she said. Does reliance on AI impact on critical thinking in the workplace? Since the late 90s people have been using search engines to find facts. With the advances and sophistication of AI people are becoming more wary, with real concerns about misinformation, disinformation and deep fakes. So while we are relying on AI tools to help find information, it's more important than ever that we engage core human skills in terms of decision making. Ms Cogan believes in an ideal world teachers and lecturers would be almost preparing people for what is going to happen in five or more years. "It's a particular skill to know when and when not to use AI, just teaching the value in decision making because ultimately the overall goal or the aim is defined by the person. There is a skill to making a good decision, and in a work context to know how to arrive at the best decision, that in itself is a whole topic in behavioural science," she said. What's next for our brains? "For our own sake, we need to nurture our brains and we need to look after our brain health," said Ms Cogan. "The best way we can do that is by remaining actively involved in that whole learning process," she said. The authors of the MIT study urged media to avoid certain vocabulary when talking about the paper and impact of generative AI on the brain. These terms included "brain scans", "LLMs make you stop thinking", "impact negatively", "brain damage" and "terrifying findings". It is very early days when it comes to learning about how these technological advances will impact on us in the long term. Maybe in the near future, AI will be able to summarise and analyse data from upcoming studies to tell us if it is rewiring our brains or making them lazy.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Here's how much you should have saved for retirement at age 30, 50 or 60 — are you at risk of falling behind?
Most Americans are worried about money, especially when it comes to retirement. A 2025 survey by Capital One and The Decision Lab found that 77% of U.S. adults feel anxious about their personal finances. A separate Allianz Life survey reveals that 64% of adults fear outliving their savings more than death itself. Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 5 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) Nervous about the stock market in 2025? Find out how you can access this $1B private real estate fund (with as little as $10) One way to deal with this anxiety is to check whether your retirement savings are on track depending on your age and income. Analysts at financial giant T. Rowe Price published retirement savings benchmarks to aim for depending on age and salary. Having ballpark figures to aim for at different periods in life can help you understand whether you're on track or behind and motivate you to take action. Here's a closer look at the figures suggested by the T. Rowe Price team. Your 30s are a critical time to start building momentum with your savings. On one hand, your income is probably accelerating as you start to make strides in your career. On the other hand, this is also a period that involves some of your biggest expenses, such as buying a house or starting a family. For example, the median age of a first-time homebuyer is 38, according to the National Association of Realtors. These big-ticket expenses could make it difficult to save any of your income. However, you also have the luxury of time, which means you have multiple decades of saving, investing and compounding wealth to look forward to, so your money still has plenty of time left to grow. T. Rowe Price suggests having 1x to 1.5x your annual income saved by your mid-to-late 30s to stay on track for retirement. That means if you earn $70,000 each year, you need at least $70,000 to $105,000 saved in financial assets to be on track for a comfortable retirement. The average 50-year-old probably has a more established career, a lower mortgage and adult children that don't need as much financial assistance. In general, this is a great time to double down on your savings and investments to get to your retirement goal as early as possible. T. Rowe Price suggests that if you have anywhere between 3.5x to 5.5x your annual income saved in your 50s, you're on track to retire comfortably. That means if your annual income is $100,000, you need up to $550,000 saved in total assets. Read more: Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says — and that 'anyone' can do it The team also suggests ramping up your yearly savings rate to 15% of your income or more. 'We found that 15% of income per year (including any employer contributions) is an appropriate savings level for many people, but higher earners should likely aim beyond 15%,' says the report. While it may be difficult to save 15% earlier in your career, it becomes more achievable, and necessary, as your income increases. The average retirement age for men is 64 and for women it's 63, according to a study by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. However, you may decide to leave work earlier or later than the average age depending on how much wealth you've managed to accumulate by your 60s. According to T. Rowe Price, the average 60-something needs between 7.5x to 13.5x their annual salary in net assets to retire comfortably. This means if you're earning $120,000 you may need up to $1.62 million saved in total wealth to consider leaving the workforce. Keep in mind that these benchmarks are general rules of thumb based on a 4% withdrawal per year in retirement. Your target could be very different from T. Rowe Price's suggestions depending on your retirement goals. If you plan to move somewhere with a different cost of living or expect to increase your spending in retirement, your savings goal may differ significantly. If you're behind on your retirement savings, T. Rowe suggests the following to catch up: Take advantage of the full company match in your workplace retirement plan, if they offer one Increase your savings rate over time Make catch-up contributions to your workplace retirement plan or IRA, if you're over age 50 Here are 5 'must have' items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you? Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead Robert Kiyosaki warns of a 'Greater Depression' coming to the US — with millions of Americans going poor. But he says these 2 'easy-money' assets will bring in 'great wealth'. How to get in now This is how American car dealers use the '4-square method' to make big profits off you — and how you can ensure you pay a fair price for all your vehicle costs Like what you read? Join 200,000+ readers and get the best of Moneywise straight to your inbox every week. This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
