Jakarta – Since its mainstream release in 2022, artificial intelligence (AI) has sparked both fascination and concern. Once hailed as a productivity revolution, AI is now facing sharp scrutiny—not for what it can do, but for what it may take away: our ability to think.
A study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) recently revealed that reliance on tools like ChatGPT in writing tasks can significantly reduce users’ critical thinking and cognitive initiative. When participants were asked to write essays using AI, search engines, or unaided reasoning, those using AI demonstrated the lowest levels of independent thought and idea generation.
“People who depend on AI systems become passive and lose their ability to think critically compared to those who trust their own intellect,” the MIT report noted, as republished by The Telegraph on June 17, 2025.
Worryingly, those who used AI showed little to no memory of what they had written, while participants who relied on their own cognitive skills could recall and explain their essays in detail. The findings suggest a growing risk: the more we outsource thought, the less capable we become of forming it.
MIT researcher Nataliya Kosmyna likened the human brain to a muscle—one that weakens without regular and meaningful exercise. Additional studies by Microsoft and Carnegie Mellon echoed similar concerns, documenting a decline in neural connectivity and originality when individuals depend heavily on AI-generated content.
This raises pressing questions for educators and policy-makers. In Indonesia, the University of Alauddin Makassar has also flagged the detrimental effects of AI on students’ creativity and problem-solving. Professor Ridi Ferdiana of Gadjah Mada University (UGM) called for regulated access to AI, comparing it to owning a firearm: “For AI with open access, usage can be encouraged. But for high-risk or specific tools, there should be permission-based controls,” he stated.
Despite these growing concerns, the momentum behind AI adoption continues at full speed. Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka has championed AI integration in education, declaring that AI will be formally introduced into school curricula across all levels—elementary through vocational high school—starting next academic year.
“Starting from the next school term, we will introduce AI education in elementary, middle, high schools, and vocational institutions,” Gibran announced.
On the global front, the tech race shows no signs of slowing. Microsoft, which invested $13 billion in AI in 2022, has seen its market valuation soar past $3.5 trillion. Nvidia, another key AI player, now rivals it in total market value. Meanwhile, Apple’s delayed adoption of AI reportedly cost the company up to $2.92 trillion in missed valuation, a cautionary tale of hesitation in an accelerating market.
As AI becomes further embedded in daily life, the world stands at a crossroads. Will this technology empower the human mind—or quietly replace it? The answer, increasingly, may lie not in how AI evolves, but in how wisely we choose to use it.
