Diagnosis (general) · AI doctors and chatbots
Does writing with ChatGPT make your brain work less?
MIT researchers had 54 people write essays using ChatGPT, a search engine or nothing, while wearing brain-wave caps. The ChatGPT group showed the weakest brain connectivity and struggled to quote their own essays. It's a small preprint that hasn't been peer-reviewed. Rating: Early research.
How far away is this?
A small study of essay writing, posted as a preprint and not yet peer-reviewed. It measures brain activity during one task, not lasting brain health.
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Where is it approved?
| Region | Regulator | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | FDA | Not applicable | Not a medical product. |
| European Union | CE mark / EMA | Not applicable | Not a medical product. |
| United Kingdom | MHRA | Not applicable | Not a medical product. |
| Australia | TGA | Not applicable | Not a medical product. |
Not a medical product. "Register not searched yet" means we haven't searched that regulator's register; it doesn't mean the product is or isn't available. Approval in one country isn't approval in another.
What is it?
EEG caps record electrical activity across the scalp. The researchers compared how strongly different brain areas seemed to work together while people wrote, over several sessions across four months.
What's the evidence?
54 people took part in three writing sessions, and 18 came back for a fourth where some swapped groups.[1]
Evidence stage: Early research · #c1
Writing with no tools showed the strongest brain connectivity, search was in the middle, and ChatGPT users showed the weakest. ChatGPT users also felt the least ownership of their essays and struggled to quote them.[1]
Evidence stage: Early research · #c2
When ChatGPT users switched to writing unaided in session 4, their connectivity stayed lower. Only 18 people did that session.[1]
Evidence stage: Early research · #c3
What does it mean for me?
This doesn't show ChatGPT harms your brain long term. In one small study, people who let it write for them remembered less of what they'd 'written' and showed less brain connectivity on EEG during the task. Whether writing a first draft yourself helps hasn't been properly tested.
What could I ask my doctor?
- Is there anything I can do to keep my memory and thinking sharp?
These are general starting points, not a recommendation to choose any particular test or treatment.
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Change history
- : First published.
General information only, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor about your situation. AI-assisted source check. Not clinically reviewed.
References
- arXiv preprint 2506.08872: Your Brain on ChatGPT (v2, 31 Dec 2025). arxiv.org (2025). Preprint (not peer-reviewed). https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.08872
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