Accumulation of Cognitive Debt When Using an AI Assistant for Essay Writing Task
a year ago
- #Education Technology
- #Cognitive Science
- #Artificial Intelligence
- Study explores neural and behavioral effects of LLM-assisted essay writing.
- Participants divided into LLM, Search Engine, and Brain-only groups.
- EEG used to measure cognitive load; essays analyzed via NLP and human/AI judges.
- Brain-only group showed strongest neural connectivity; LLM users had weakest.
- LLM users reported lowest essay ownership and struggled with self-quotation.
- Cognitive activity decreased with increased tool reliance.
- Long-term LLM use linked to underperformance in neural, linguistic, and behavioral metrics.
- Findings suggest potential cognitive costs of LLM reliance in education.