Various studies over the past months have flagged signs of cognitive debt — the mental equivalent of financial debt that accumulates when we overrely on artificial intelligence for thinking tasks. Building on Microsoft's earlier findings about AI's impact on creativity and analytical skills, a study (not peer-reviewed) from MIT establishes a direct link, suggesting that our increasing dependence on automated assistance may be weakening fundamental cognitive abilities.

Although the results came from a limited test group (only nine participants participated in all four stages of the experiment), the findings confirm a worrisome emerging pattern. They also hint at a potential remedy to AI-mediated cognitive decline and acute agency decay. Participants who alternated between periods of unassisted thinking and AI-supported work maintained their cognitive sharpness, avoiding the neural decline observed in those who used AI assistance continuously.

The alternating pattern mirrors the structure of high-intensity interval........

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