Ten Minutes With AI Reduce Cognitive Performance, Study Finds

A new study reports a worrying finding: just 10 minutes of using an AI assistant can noticeably reduce a person's cognitive abilities and their capacity to solve problems on their own.

How the study was conducted

A group of researchers split the participants into several groups. The first solved difficult logic problems entirely on their own, without any hints. The second had access to an AI assistant (like ChatGPT) for exactly 10 minutes, and could consult it as many times as they wanted. The third, a control group, did no preparatory tasks. After that, all participants without exception took the same set of tests measuring creativity, logical reasoning, the ability to find unconventional solutions and learning speed.

Results: a drop of a quarter

The data was discouraging. People who worked with AI showed a significant drop in performance across all categories:

• The quality of solutions to new problems fell by 25–30% compared with the control group
• Participants tried fewer alternative approaches and options
• Intrinsic motivation to look for their own solutions dropped significantly

What is especially concerning is that the effect appeared almost instantly, already in the first test after working with AI.

Why this happens: cognitive atrophy

Neuroscientists offer a simple explanation: the brain is the "laziest" organ in the human body and always takes the path of least resistance. When the solution to a problem is supplied from outside, neurons literally "relax" and save energy. The next time the person has to think independently, the brain suffers a cognitive shock, like an unwarmed muscle suddenly asked to lift a heavy weight.

This is especially dangerous for the younger generation, which is only now building its analytical thinking skills.

"If you generate all your content through AI, your brain simply unlearns how to do it.

It's like giving up walking: the muscles atrophy."

What this means in practice

The study is not against AI as a tool. It is about using it properly: AI works when it amplifies your abilities (editing text, checking ideas, finding inspiration), not when it replaces them (fully delegating thinking).

For education, the conclusion is critical: schools and universities should teach students to think independently first, and only then to use assistants as support. A graduate who has never solved problems without AI will be helpless without the tool. For professionals at work, a mix of their own thinking and AI remains the optimal strategy.

For people who have already developed a persistent dependence, regaining their skills may be a long process. Like an athlete who has not trained for a month, they will need deliberate effort to get back in shape.