Does the use of Artificial intelligence tools impact our cognition?

Writing about the impact of AI on cognition was not one of the topics of choice for my first blog for my website. Microsoft Word made me do it. As I was about to type the words “Understanding neurodiversity in the workplace” (yes, I will write about that too), I was faced with the headline “What do you want Co-Pilot to draft?” Of course, I clicked on it because I wanted to see what it generates. There it was – a detailed two-page blog with titles, subtitles, and a perfect blog for the topic with accurate information. I promise, I skimmed through it as I did not want it to significantly influence my brain for when I actually write the article.

I am no saint, but my righteousness would not allow me to copy paste a blog generated by AI on my website. It did however increase my curiosity on the impact AI is having on our cognitive abilities, particularly on our critical thinking skills.

What is cognition?

Cognitive function encompasses our memory, attention, decision making, critical thinking, novelty seeking and perception, language, and executive functions. So basically, how we acquire knowledge, use the knowledge, and understand the world. Typing this requires me to use my cognitive skills particularly critical thinking and language, and also decision-making in that I chose not to use the co-pilot AI tool. But I know very well about my attention span and the impact that AI might have had on yours so let’s keep this brief.

Cognitive offloading

This concept does not always refer to the use of AI but it generally encompasses any physical action we take to alter the information processing requirements thereby reducing the cognitive demand of tasks (Risko & Gilbert, 2016). Examples are using ‘splitwise’ or ‘beem’ to split payments between friends after a holiday, using a notepad to write a shopping list, using a map.

AI further reduces the demands of more complex cognitive tasks. From asking “plan a 7-day trip for me” to “write a 500-word essay on minecraft;” AI has started doing the thinking for us. Increased use of AI tools is linked with reduced critical thinking abilities as one can ‘offload’ these problem-solving abilities to AI (Gerlich, 2025), ultimately reducing independent thinking (Szmyd & Mitera, 2024).

I have hope!

AI can critically think for us but still needs the human input to understand the nuances of a topic. For example, you can ask chat GPT to find evidence for the efficacy of a particular medication. However, the human brain is what further analyses the complexities surrounding the research such as assessing who funded the research. If it were the pharmaceutical companies producing the drug then we sure need to ‘critically think’ about the limitations. Yes, CHAT GPT can give us that answer as well but our input is required.

How to keep your brain active?

·       Question the responses that AI provides you. As an example, if you are asking CHAT GPT about the best Italian restaurants to eat in Coffs Harbour, it will come up with responses based on the ratings but if you really want to know reliability of the review – then READ the reviews yourself for why the ratings are high or low. That is if you are bothered, like me.

·       Engage in conversations with people who may have different perspectives to you. Do not replace it with real human interaction. AI will often generate responses to agree with you and that can be harmful

·       Move your body – outside! Go outside!

·       Take a break from that screen. Set aside a time in the day where you will not be touching your phone or laptop.

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Meghna Datta

Registered Psychologist

Megaview Psychology

Hi, I’m Meghna — a Registered Psychologist and Counsellor passionate about supporting children, adolescents, adults, and families through life’s challenges. My approach is neuroaffirming, trauma-informed, and person-centred, meaning I tailor each session to meet your individual needs—because there’s no one-size-fits-all in therapy.

I draw on evidence-based approaches such as CBT, ACT, DBT, and mindfulness-based techniques, blending them to create a space that feels supportive and effective for you.

If you’d like to see whether we’re a good fit, I’d love to hear from you. You can contact me through my website www.megaviewpsychology.com.au or email me at megaviewpsychology@gmail.com.

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References:

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Gerlich, M. (2025). AI Tools in Society: Impacts on Cognitive Offloading and the Future of Critical Thinking. Societies, 15(1), 6. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc15010006

Szmyd, K., & Mitera, E. (2024). The impact of artificial intelligence on the development of critical thinking skills in students. European Research Studies Journal, 27(2), 1022-1039.

Risko, E. F., & Gilbert, S. J. (2016). Cognitive offloading. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 20(9), 676–688. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2016.07.002

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