Discussion (342 points, 3 days ago, 385 comments) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44286277

I recently went to the theater with my wife to see the new Karate Kid movie. We discussed it a bit after, and I said it felt a bit rushed. Like, the character goes from being in a Chinese kung fu temple, to being in the US, with a girlfriend - and an enemy - in the first 10 minutes of the movie.

She made a really good point: we're in the TikTok era.

After she said this, it made much more sense. The whole movie felt like "reels" stitched together, with no scene lasting longer than 5 minutes.

It makes me wonder if people today (especially younger people) would be able to watch a movie like the Godfather? I have doubts.

Honestly, I'm terrified of where we are heading as a species.

I feel this depends entirely on how you use it. Using it as a rubber duck to talk through ideas? doubt my brain activity is lower because of that. Using it to stub out boiler plate code? I'm glad my brain activity is lower for that.

I won't use AI for emails or creative content, but I'll for sure use it as a sounding board and as a trivial task completer. I bet my brain activity is lower using a calculator.

Nuance does not make for a flashy article title.

Link to original MIT project overview referenced in OP link: https://www.media.mit.edu/projects/your-brain-on-chatgpt/ove...

"Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, weak men create hard times."

This happens via brain connections and brain activity. The good times means less tribulations and the weak men simply havent formed the brain pathways.

AI makes for 'good times' and the easy 'low brain engagement' is the identified problem.

These scanned folks likely are using AI wrong.

Never ask AI "summarize this book" for me. You're missing out on reading the book. What if you read the book and then ask "What did this book miss?" or "give me ideas on what i can do to expand on the ideas in this book"

The way i look at it, dont 'reduce' only 'expand'

The way I found this, back in the day video games were awesome and then an EXPANSION was added that expanded the game. So when working on my open source projects, I was always asking 'whats the next expansion?"

Something that i love asking ai. "Here's my project and what it does. What are the next big ideas that can be added."

"Using AI chatbots actually reduces activity in the brain"

I love the use of the word "actually" there, as if anybody were under the illusion that using LLMs makes individual humans smarter.

Tool that gains popularity for reducing cognitive load is found to reduce cognitive load. Shocker.

I expect better from El Reg.

If I’m talking to a chatbot vs humans, I don’t really have to worry about social aspects of talking and that’s a lot of load

I use the analogy of chatting with a Smart Friend™ about programming. Something I have done my entire career. ;-)

I knew that was a Register headline...

What about using the AI chatbot while riding an electric bike in traffic?

I think this entirely depends on the application, if that's not self evident.

I do not have many options for discussions anymore. This is for various reasons.

Some of the dialogue I've experienced through various LLM systems has been far more intriguing and thought provoking than 90 percent of my human conversations. I distinctly recall thinking how great it was to have something to substitute the former roles of bygone friends, some of who were both highly educated and intelligent.

Some of my more enjoyable discussions have been in the realm of guerilla physics. So one could easily enough argue that my mind was wasting away while being cheaply entertained by bullshit. But other subjects have been equally satisfying and quite rewarding. Some credit may be due to very meticulous prompt construction. Or perhaps the simple earnestness of my inquiries. If my time spent in these sessions has reduced my cognitive activity, it is miraculous that I can function so well in a coma around most actual people, who do verily inspire one -- a coma, that is.

A deep one.

Isn't that the whole point? It wouldn't be any use for anyone if a new technology did the same thing as before but made it harder rather than easier.

Any data on vs TV and reading TikTok?

TIL: boffin

I am sure my brain activity is lower when I use a calculator instead of doing math by hand as well.

-- Nothing like a 100% accurate statement getting downvotes because people hate AI

In my completely uneducated-in-this-field view, "brain activity" can be broken down into two distinct types - the first type involves the raw procedural work required to solve a problem like 3012 x 42 in one's head, and the second involves higher level conceptual, critical and creative thinking required to say write a book or design a complex algorithm.

In the past, computers, calculators etc. have reduced the need for type 1 thinking, but I believe LLMs are increasingly replacing (or emulating / mimicking) type 2 thinking which - again entirely in my view - is more harmful to individuals and society as a whole.