why a recent mit AI study should give us pause.
It all begins with an idea.
“Researchers examined how the use of large language models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT, influence essay writing and cognitive engagement. While AI offered support in task completion, it appeared to reduce cognitive effort.”
A recent study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) further extends the existing literature around artificial intelligence and its impact on human development. Focusing on educational environments, the researchers examined how the use of large language models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT, influences essay writing and cognitive engagement. Participants who used AI tools for essay writing exhibited different patterns of cognitive activity compared to those who relied on search engines or worked independently. While AI offered support in task completion, it seemed to reduce cognitive effort, resulting in percieved “laziness” from participants. In a similar study from Harvard, researchers found that while AI-assisted tasks did improve productivity, they also resulted in decreased motivation among participants. Both of these studies provide a useful framework to consider how technological tools may shape not only what we do, but how we do it.
The findings offer a unique opportunity to reconsider how we define productivity. While AI tools can streamline effort, they may unintentionally inhibit the development of certain skills that arise through struggle, perseverance, and critical thinking. Conversely, productivity, when narrowly defined by output, may obscure the value of presence, reflection, and cognitive depth. At the same time, these insights must be placed within the wider context of contemporary life. Additional studies have pointed towards increasing cognitive fatigue, attention fragmentation, and stress, driven by the relentless pace of digital life. The conditions of modern work environments, it seems, are contributing to widespread emotional and mental exhaustion. Rather than viewing AI as a disruptive force, these studies offer a window through which to reframe its role in enabling more balanced and sustainable ways of living. When used in intentional and purposeful ways, AI could alleviate administrative burdens, reduce repetitive cognitive load, and support ideation and content generation. This in turn can free up time and mental space for creativity, interpersonal connection, and strategic thinking. Supporting this perspective is an expanding body of research on the value of rest, daydreaming, and mind-wandering. These states, once dismissed as unproductive, are now understood to play a critical role in memory consolidation, emotional regulation, and imaginative thinking. The human mind benefits from periods of disengagement, which allow for integration, insight, and recovery.
Within the context of an increasingly stressed and exhausted workforce, the MIT study provides a stark example of the the need to take a mindful approach to AI use. Rather than maximising output, regardless of consequences, there is value in designing environments that support both performance and wellbeing. AI’s capacity to handle routine and repetitive tasks may, for example. allow individuals to focus on work that demands empathy, creativity, and critical insight. As such, when deployed in purposeful ways, AI can benefit productivity and wellness. Therefore, the future of digital innovation will not be shaped solely by how much we can do with AI, but by how well we can use it to create more intentional, human-centred systems.
I believe that AI’s most transformative potential, when used responsibly, lies in it’s ability to support the elusive, yet oft sought-after human ideal: work-life balance.
This article was developed with the support of AI (Artificial Intelligence) tools, such as ChatGPT, to shape, refine, and strengthen the final output. Whilst the initial arguments and research were offered by myself, AI helped to critique and reframe my initial ideas, improve clarity, flow, and ensured my tone was professional and engaging. As such, the final version reflects what I percieve to be an ideal iterative collaboration between human insight and AI assistance.