Students Using ChatGPT Forget What They Wrote

A recent study has raised red flags among teachers and education experts. The early findings suggest that students who use ChatGPT to write their essays may be showing lower levels of critical thinking compared to those who write without AI assistance.
Although the study has not yet been peer-reviewed, it has gained a lot of attention online, especially among frustrated educators who feel students are relying too much on artificial intelligence.

What the Research Found

The study, led by a research team at MIT, involved 54 adult students from the Boston area. They were split into three groups:

One group wrote essays using ChatGPT
The second group used traditional internet searches
The third group wrote essays using only their knowledge

Students were asked to write 20-minute essays while researchers monitored their brain activity using EEG (electroencephalogram) devices.

Key Observations: AI Use and Brain Activity

The group that used ChatGPT showed significantly less brain connectivity meaning different parts of their brains were communicating less. They also scored worse overall on essay quality. Teachers evaluating the work described the AI-generated essays as having correct grammar but lacking originality, personality, and deeper insight. One teacher even described them as “soulless.”
Even more surprising: Over 80% of the ChatGPT group couldn’t recall anything they had written, while nearly all students in the other two groups remembered key points from their essays.

Copy-Paste Over Critical Thought

By the third round of the experiment, many students in the ChatGPT group were simply copying and pasting what the AI generated, without reflecting on the content or making it personal. In contrast, the brain-only group had to think deeply and generate their ideas an important step in learning.
One professor, Jocelyn Leitzinger from the University of Illinois in Chicago, noticed similar issues in her classroom. She recalled how many of her students wrote about a fictional woman named “Sally” in their essays on discrimination. It turned out that ChatGPT had inserted this common name in multiple responses students hadn’t even made up their own stories.

A Double-Edged Sword?

However, the study doesn’t suggest that ChatGPT is harmful by nature. When the brain-only group was later allowed to use ChatGPT, their brain connectivity improved. This finding hints that, if used wisely, AI could enhance learning rather than hinder it.
Lead author Dr. Nataliya Kosmyna warned that it’s too early to draw strong conclusions. The study was small and more research is needed. She stressed that AI tools should be used thoughtfully, not as shortcuts.

Educators Notice Real-World Changes

Leitzinger has seen clear differences in student writing since ChatGPT became popular in 2022. Spelling errors are now rare, but so is authentic insight. In some cases, students don’t even bother to change the font after pasting their essays from ChatGPT.
Still, she believes we should show empathy. Students are confused because some classes encourage AI use, while others ban it entirely. This inconsistency makes it harder for students to know what’s allowed.

The Bigger Picture: Learning at Risk

AI tools like ChatGPT are often compared to calculators, which changed the way math is taught. But writing is more than just producing words. As Leitzinger explained, “Writing is thinking, thinking is writing. If we skip that step, what happens to our ability to think?”
Indeed, students using ChatGPT may miss out on the process of forming ideas, organising thoughts, and reflecting deeply on what they’ve learned.

Conclusion

AI is not the enemy but how we use it matters. When students rely on ChatGPT to do the hard thinking for them, they may miss critical opportunities to develop their minds. Educators, students, and institutions will need to work together to set clear guidelines and find ways to use these tools responsibly.

Source: Inputs from various media Sources

I’m a pharmacist with a strong background in health sciences. I hold a BSc from Delhi University and a pharmacy degree from PDM University. I write articles and daily health news while interviewing doctors to bring you the latest insights. In my free time, you’ll find me at the gym or lost in a sci-fi novel.