Mind & Machine: AI and Learning
Details
How "Smart" Tech Affects Human Intelligence
For our first meetup of 2026, we’re diving into the psychological trade-offs of the AI era. As we outsource more of our cognitive labor to Large Language Models, what is actually happening to our brains?
We’ll be discussing three specific pieces that look at "cognitive debt," the potential erosion of critical thinking, and the shift from being "creators" of information to "verifiers" of it. Is AI a bicycle for the mind, or a crutch that’s causing our mental muscles to atrophy?
The Articles:
- Healthline: Does Using AI Affect Your Brain Performance? (A look at recent EEG studies on neural connectivity).
- The Guardian: Don’t ask what AI can do for us, ask what it is doing to us. (The impact on human intelligence and the "PISA" drop).
- BBC: AI’s Impact on Learning. (A case study on behavioural shifts in education).
The Vibe: Very casual. No expertise in neuroscience required—just bring your thoughts on how your own habits have changed since these tools became part of daily life.
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Potential questions we can discuss further:
- The "GPS Effect": We lost the ability to read maps when GPS took over. Are we losing the ability to structure a logical argument now that AI does it for us?
- Cognitive Offloading: When is offloading a task "efficient" (like using a calculator) vs. when is it "damaging" (like having AI write a personal note)?
- The 2026 Reality: Now that we're a few years into the AI boom, do you feel "smarter" because you have more info, or "lazier" because you process it less?