Can ChatGPT Make You Forget Things? A Neurosurgeon Explains What Happens When We Over-Rely On AI Chatbots
AI can make information easier to access, but does that mean we are learning less? Dr. Nigel Peter Symss explains the role of neuroplasticity, memory retrieval and problem-solving
Got Question about the News?
You no longer need to remember a fact, work through a difficult question or even struggle to find the right words. A quick prompt to ChatGPT can produce a summary and even explain a really complicated concept in seconds. The convenience is hard to argue with. But as artificial intelligence becomes a routine part of how we work and learn, we need to consider: are we getting better at accessing information while becoming less practised at remembering and processing it ourselves?
The concern is not simply that people are using AI more often. It is what happens when the technology starts doing the mental work that would otherwise help us learn. If a chatbot summarises an article before we have read it, writes an answer before we have attempted the question or retrieves information every time we need it, are we missing opportunities to strengthen our own cognitive abilities?
- Breathe Easier In The City: Effective Air Purifiers Under Rs 15,000 For Compact Bedrooms
- Matchmaker Calls Out 42-Year-Old Man Seeking 28-Year-Old Wife For ‘Healthy Children’
- Mumbai Heatwave Making You Dizzy And Nauseous? How To Stay Safe During Your Daily Commute
- Kunal Kemmu Shows Off Ripped Body In Shirtless Selfies: The Effort Behind His Impressive Physique
Dr. Nigel Peter Symss, Senior Consultant Neurosurgeon and Head of Department at Gleneagles Hospital, Chennai, says the brain’s ability to learn and remember is closely linked to how actively we engage with information. “The human brain adapts through learning and experience," he explains, pointing to neuroplasticity (the brain’s ability to modify and strengthen connections between nerve cells) as an important part of learning and memory.
This does not mean that using AI automatically weakens memory. Rather, it asks what happens when we consistently outsource tasks that would otherwise require attention, recall and independent reasoning.
How Does The Brain Form And Retrieve Memories?
Remembering something involves more than storing a piece of information. The brain must encode it, consolidate it and retrieve it when needed. Attention, repetition, prior knowledge and active engagement all influence how effectively this process works. The hippocampus, a structure located deep within the brain, plays an important role in forming new memories. When we learn something new, the brain processes that information and establishes connections that can help us retrieve it later.
Dr. Symss explains that activities such as recalling information, solving problems and thinking independently support learning and memory. The effort involved in retrieving an answer can itself be useful, rather than an inconvenience to eliminate. Consider the difference between reading a summary of a chapter and trying to explain its key ideas without looking at the text. In the first instance, the information is available for you to consume. In the second, you must actively retrieve and organise what you have learnt.
This practice, commonly called active recall, is an established learning strategy. It encourages the brain to retrieve information rather than merely recognise it when presented again.
What Happens When AI Does The Thinking For Us?
AI tools can summarise lengthy documents, generate essays, explain unfamiliar subjects and suggest solutions to complex problems. Used thoughtfully, they can make learning more accessible and help people understand material they might otherwise find difficult. The concern arises when assistance becomes substitution.
Dr. Symss says that excessive reliance on AI may reduce opportunities for adults to practise remembering information and analysing problems independently. “In adults, excessive reliance on AI may similarly reduce opportunities to practise remembering information and analysing things independently. Each time we try to recall something we have learnt, we help strengthen the brain connections involved in memory. However, there is currently insufficient evidence to conclude that AI use directly causes permanent memory loss or physical damage to the brain," he explains.
Same is the case with children. “When children rely on AI to complete tasks without attempting them independently, they may miss opportunities to practise reasoning, attention and problem-solving," he says.
What Does The Research Say About AI And Brain Activity?
A study from the MIT Media Lab titled Your Brain on ChatGPT brought this question into sharper focus. Researchers used electroencephalography (EEG), a method that measures electrical activity in the brain, to examine participants as they wrote essays under different conditions, including with ChatGPT assistance and without AI tools.
The researchers reported lower overall brain connectivity among participants who used ChatGPT compared with those who wrote without AI assistance. The findings raised questions about the relationship between AI-assisted writing and cognitive engagement during the task. However, the results need to be interpreted carefully. The study was a preprint, and its findings about brain connectivity during a particular writing exercise do not establish that AI causes lasting cognitive decline, damages the brain or leads to permanent memory loss.
Dr. Symss also cautions against drawing conclusions about permanent harm from current evidence.
Top videos
Goal Setting In 2026: Evidence-Based Strategies To Finally Succeed
New Year Resolutions: How To Make A Vision Board That Actually Works In 2026
Steal Sonakshi Sinha’s Housewarming Glow With This Easy Makeup Routine | Watch
Shilpa Shetty’s Yoga Routine For High Blood Pressure | Natural Ways To Lower BP
“There is currently insufficient evidence to conclude that AI use directly causes permanent memory loss or physical damage to the brain," he says. The study therefore adds to an important question rather than providing an answer: when AI completes a cognitive task for us, does the quality of our engagement with that task change, and could repeated changes in how we learn have longer-term consequences?
A person who uses AI to clarify an unfamiliar concept and then tests their understanding may be learning effectively. Someone who accepts an answer without examining it, checking its accuracy or trying to understand the reasoning may be missing that opportunity. As the expert puts it, “The key distinction is between using AI to support learning and using it to replace the learning process. Asking questions, critically evaluating answers and attempting problems independently remain important. AI can be a valuable tool, but it should complement our thinking abilities rather than replace the mental effort involved in developing them."
Quick Answers
Ask News18According to Dr. Nigel Peter Symss, a senior consultant neurosurgeon at Gleneagles Hospital in Chennai, there is currently insufficient evidence to conclude that AI use directly causes permanent memory loss or physical damage to the brain.
About the Author
Click here to add News18 as your preferred news source on Google.