ChatGPT, LLMs Can Impact Your Learning, But You Can Prevent It

Key Takeaways

• MIT research found that using LLMs like ChatGPT can reduce your learning skills.
• Research participants who relied on ChatGPT can't quote essays they've written minutes prior.
• It emphasizes the negative impact of relying solely on LLMs and the need to view them as a powerful learning tool.

Using large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT can likely decrease our learning skills, according to researchers at MIT.

In the study entitled Your Brain on ChatGPT', the research team conducted three sessions involving 54 participants who were divided into three groups based on tools they used to write an essay: ChatGPT (LLM group'), Google (search engine group'), and none (brain-only group').

Finally, a fourth session was conducted, during which the LLM group used no tools, while the brain-only group used the LLM.

In the sessions, the participants were given 20 minutes to write an essay based on SAT prompts, such as the ethics of philanthropy and the danger of having too many choices.

According to the team's findings, the brain-only group exhibited stronger brain connectivity, while the LLM-only group was the weakest, and the search engine group was squarely in the middle. Those who used LLMs also reported low ownership of their essays and were less able to quote from essays they wrote minutes before.

In addition, the LLM-only group performed worse than the brain-only group in their scores, neural activity, and linguistic skills over four months.

AI Bad, Brain Good': The Need to Change the Perception of LLMs

The research underscores the issue of relying solely on LLMs to do the heavy lifting for us, especially over a long period of time. Because of this, perhaps it's also high time to view ChatGPT as a content-creation tool and as one that can help us think more critically, complement our creativity, or learn new skills.

We can look at it as if Wikipedia had evolved. In the early 2000s, it was the favorite tool of college students who would lift content from the website, put it in their essays, and pass off the work as their own.

But over time, it became a valuable tool for preliminary research. Although it's still less accurate than other sources over 20 years, it undoubtedly makes looking up information much faster. Just check the topic on the Wikipedia page, follow the references, expand your research from there, and don't forget to verify your data.

LLMs can serve a similar purpose and so much more. You can use ChatGPT, for instance, to explain complex concepts in simple terms they can understand, create prototypes they can improve upon later on, or even find connections between ideas they haven't considered before.

More than a tool to whip up a quick essay, we can also look at LLMs as an opportunity to provide more personalized learning experiences. Learners of a new language can use it to sharpen their skills and build their confidence. ChatGPT can positively affect academic writing when used as a feedback tool.

At the end of the day, LLMs like ChatGPT are just tools, and it's up to the users to use them more effectively. Think of fire: you can use its extreme heat to melt metal or make it stronger by forging. It all depends on the goal you want to achieve.

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