Researchers at the University of Oxford have discovered how the use of neural networks affects students' cognitive functions. The so-called AI generation processes information faster but loses the ability to think deeply and independently.
According to a report released by Oxford University Press, eight in ten British teenagers aged 13 to 18 regularly use neural networks for study. Nearly all admitted to using AI to assist with homework.
Most students believe that technology helps them "think faster" and "solve complex problems more easily." However, 60% of respondents noted that continued use of AI reduces their abilities in other areas, and a quarter admitted that this approach to learning has become overly simplistic.
Erica Galea, director of the European Centre for Neuroeducation, believes that adolescents' thinking speed and fluency have improved, but they have lost the depth of reflection and questioning. Scientists call this phenomenon "synthetic thinking."
The authors recommend rethinking educational approaches, focusing on answering the question, "Why do people learn?" In the current context, AI has a different impact on the education system: it has become a tool that determines how people learn.
