As I started using ChatGPT more often, I noticed that when I ask the AI too many questions, it starts giving me the same feeling I get after doomscrolling TikTok for 15 minutes (which I haven’t done in almost a year now). I’ve been debating with myself about why I feel this way, but a new paper might have the answer: ChatGPT is making us all dumber.
According to a study by the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School involving over 4,500 participants (via Gizmodo), people who use ChatGPT and other LLMs don’t learn the same way because it requires less effort.
One of the key findings suggests that “Participants who used ChatGPT spent less time on the search task than those using Google search (…) suggesting that acquiring information through an LLM involved less effort.”
In the study, users had to use Google or ChatGPT to research a topic and write advice. Those who used standard web search actively discovered and synthesized information themselves. Those who used ChatGPT felt “less invested in forming their advice, and, more importantly, created advice that is sparser and less original.”
This happens because web search forces users to click through and compare multiple sources, then synthesize the information themselves. LLMs, on the other hand, usually offer fewer and more generic facts.
That said, ChatGPT and other LLMs offer a more convenient search experience, but the depth of knowledge and critical thinking that proper research provides just isn’t there. This makes AI a potential issue for areas like education and creative tasks.
My take
Since the AI boom is still pretty recent, we’re all learning how to navigate this new chatbot world. Right now, LLMs can hallucinate, and some researchers even believe these models can’t reason. They can be great tools for certain tasks, but depending on where you are in life, it might be better to build skills the old-fashioned way.
For example, I’ve been studying Italian for a couple of years at an in-person school. At this point, I feel confident using ChatGPT to help me study the grammar I already know. While LLMs are fine for that, I’ve seen them repeatedly correct grammar exercises incorrectly.
If you’re just starting to learn the basics of math, a new language, or even history, I’d definitely recommend good old Google Books and proper educators.
Also, just because you can use ChatGPT doesn’t mean you’re making the most of it. If you don’t know how to ask the right questions, it won’t give you the right answers. You can read the full paper here.
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