The Verge warns frequent AI use can weaken learning habits

In short: A new essay from The Verge argues that heavy, everyday use of AI chatbots can make people rely less on their own thinking, especially in education.

What's going on

The Verge published a report by Benjamin Riley that compares today’s AI tools to “junk food for the mind.” The idea is simple, AI can feel helpful and satisfying in the moment, but too much of it may be bad for long-term learning, like eating hot dogs every day.

Riley says the tech industry often talks about the brain like a computer. He points to comments from Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis, who has described the brain as similar to a Turing machine (a basic model for how computers follow step-by-step instructions), and from Elon Musk, who has called the brain a “biological computer.” The essay argues this comparison is limited, because humans do not just take in information and output answers.

Instead, the essay highlights research from neuroscientist Paul Cisek, who describes brains as “feedback-control systems.” That means we learn by acting in the world and adjusting based on what happens next, more like steering a bike than solving a math equation.

The essay also points to signs of growing concern in schools. It cites examples of students using ChatGPT to avoid doing work, and it notes that some places are moving toward restrictions, including Norway’s near-ban on AI use in elementary school for children under 13, plus recent chatbot bans in large US school districts.

What to watch

Expect more schools and governments to debate limits on student chatbot use, and more discussion of “AI-free” time for problem solving, writing, and class debate, so students keep practicing core thinking skills.

Source: The Verge AI