Social Impact Of AI

🧠 Your Brain Is Quietly Paying a Price for Using ChatGPT We spend hours with LLMs like ChatGPT. But are we fully aware of what they’re doing to our brains? A new study from MIT delivers a clear message: The more we rely on AI to generate and structure our thoughts, the more we risk losing touch with essential cognitive processes — creativity, memory, and critical reasoning. 📊 Key insight? When students wrote essays using GPT-4o, real-time EEG data showed a significant decline in activity across brain regions tied to executive control, semantic processing, and idea generation. When those same students later had to write without AI assistance, their performance didn’t just drop — it collapsed. 🔬 What they did: 54 students wrote SAT-style essays across multiple sessions, while high-density EEG tracked information flow between 32 brain regions. Participants were split across three tools: → Solo writing (“Brain-only”) → Google Search → GPT-4o (LLM-assisted) In the final round, the groups switched: GPT users wrote unaided, and unaided writers used GPT. (LLM→Brain and Brain→LLM) ⚡ What they found: Neural dampening: Full reliance on the LLM led to the weakest fronto-parietal and temporal connectivity — signaling lighter executive function and shallower semantic engagement. Sequence effects: Writers who began solo and then layered on GPT showed increased brain-wide activity — a sign of active cognitive engagement. The reverse group (starting with GPT) showed the lowest coordination and overused LLM-preferred vocabulary. Memory failures: In their very first AI-assisted session, no GPT users could recall a single sentence they had just written — while most solo writers could. Cognitive debt: Repeated LLM use led to narrower idea generation and reduced topic diversity — making recovery without AI more difficult. 🌱 What does this mean for us? LLMs make content creation feel frictionless. But that very convenience comes at a cost: Diminished engagement. Lower memory. Narrower thinking. If we want to preserve intellectual independence and the ability to truly think, we need to use LLMs with intention. →Use them too soon, and the brain goes quiet. →Use them after thinking independently — and they amplify our output. ✨ Hybrid workflows are the way forward: Start with your own cognition, then apply LLMs to sharpen, not replace. The most irreplaceable kind of AI will always be Actual Intelligence. 👉 Full study (with TL;DR + summary table): https://zurl.co/0hnox

Your brain on AI: One of the first studies measuring what ChatGPT use does to our brain MIT researchers tracked 54 people writing essays using ChatGPT, web search, or just their brains—while monitoring neural activity with EEG. The findings are striking: 🧠 Brain connectivity weakened with more AI support. ChatGPT users showed the least neural engagement. 🔍 Memory collapsed. 83% of ChatGPT users couldn't quote their own essays minutes later, vs. near-perfect recall without AI. ⚡ "Cognitive debt" accumulated. When ChatGPT users later wrote without AI, their brains showed weakened connectivity compared to those who practiced unassisted writing. 🎨 Creativity declined. AI-assisted essays were statistically more uniform and less original. The twist: Strategic timing matters. Using AI after initial self-driven effort preserved better cognitive engagement than consistent AI use from the start. This isn't anti-AI—it's about understanding the trade-offs. While AI-generated essays scored well initially, participants showed signs of cognitive atrophy: diminished critical thinking, reduced memory encoding, and less ownership of their work. The takeaway: We need to enhance, not replace, human thinking as we integrate these powerful tools. Full study here: https://lnkd.in/e-6urMD8 Note: This is a pre-print study awaiting peer review.

AI is helping mothers in Kenya access the care and information they need, right when it matters most. In too many communities, pregnancy and early motherhood happen without the support or guidance that every woman deserves. Jacaranda Health is changing that through PROMPTS, an AI-powered SMS platform that delivers timely, accurate health information in Swahili. The impact is clear: → Women are 20% more likely to attend recommended prenatal visits → Nearly twice as likely to use postpartum family planning services → 18% more likely to return for critical postpartum care PROMPTS now responds to over 10,000 messages a day—70% handled instantly through AI, with urgent questions directed to trained nurses.  And with new weather data integrations, it’s also helping protect maternal health during extreme heat and environmental stress. Read the full grantee story, link in comments.

You don’t have a thinking problem; you have a deciding problem. And AI might be making it worse. No one talks about this part. AI doesn’t just give you answers. It gives you too many. And somewhere between your 3rd and 17th prompt… You stop leading. What this actually looks like in real life: • You generate 10 options… and commit to none • You keep prompting instead of deciding • You second-guess the output… and yourself • You feel busy… but not clear • You delay action waiting for a “better answer.” That’s not intelligence. That’s analysis paralysis — AI amplified. And the data is starting to catch up to what many of us are seeing in real time: 📌 MIT Technology Review shows reduced brain engagement when relying on AI vs. independent thinking 📌 Harvard Business Review is now calling it “AI brain fry” — mental fatigue + slower decisions from overuse 📌 A 2025 study (n=666) found a strong negative correlation btw heavy AI use & critical thinking due to cognitive offloading 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gsCj6Y4M Let’s call it what it is: You’re not getting stuck because you don’t have good options. You’re stuck because you have too many… and no filter. AI scales options. Human Intelligence scales judgment. And when judgment doesn’t keep up: • Options become noise • Thinking becomes looping • Action becomes delayed The highest-performing leaders I work with aren’t the ones using AI the most. They’re the ones who know when to stop. (Read that again) Before your next prompt, pause and ask yourself: ➤ “If I had to decide right now… what would I choose?” Then use AI to refine — not replace — that decision. Because the risk isn’t that AI will think for you. It’s that you’ll stop trusting yourself enough to decide. In the AI era, tools don’t create clarity. Leaders do. #ai #criticalthinking #leadership

Imagine a world where AI handles repetitive tasks, freeing women to excel in areas where human ingenuity truly shines. This shift can empower women to take on leadership roles and contribute more significantly across various sectors. The International Monetary Fund recently warned that AI could disproportionately displace women in emerging economies. Nearly two-fifths of women in these regions are employed in sectors highly susceptible to automation. This highlights a critical challenge: ensuring AI empowers, rather than displaces, women. By equipping women with the skills and knowledge to leverage AI, we can unlock a future where AI augments their work, allowing them to focus on higher-level tasks like creative problem-solving and strategic thinking. AVPN recognises the importance of mitigating the potential negative impacts of AI on workers. Through our AI Opportunity Fund, we aim to support workers of all genders across Asia Pacific who are most vulnerable to workforce transitions driven by AI. While many of us enjoy the benefits of AI in our daily lives, we must not forget those who may be negatively impacted. More can be done. Let me know what other ways we can ensure a just #AI transition. #womeneconomicempowerment #AItransition

AI is being sold as the next thing women need to catch up on. But what if it’s actually one of the first technologies that lets women move ahead — on our own terms? Right now, AI is changing who gets to build, decide, and lead. And it’s doing it in a way that quietly dismantles some of the old gatekeeping. You no longer need a massive team, a giant budget, or a technical pedigree stamped by elite institutions. You need curiosity, judgment, and the ability to see connections. AI responds to how well you think, not how loud you are in the room. That matters, especially in workplaces that have historically rewarded confidence over clarity. What AI is really doing is amplifying skills women already use: 💎 Seeing the full system, not just one task 💎 Translating complexity into something usable 💎 Balancing speed with consequences 💎 Making decisions with people in mind, not just outputs These aren’t “nice to have” traits. With AI, they scale. The article also touches on something subtle but important: the difference between using AI and directing it. Using AI is letting it automate what you were already told to do. Directing AI is saying, “What if we redesigned this entire process?” “What if we asked a better question?” “What if we didn’t accept the default?” That’s where power shows up. And here’s the part we really care about at STEM Gems: girls are watching how this story gets told. If AI is framed as cold, hyper-technical, and reserved for a narrow type of person, we lose them before they even start. But if it’s framed as a tool for creativity, problem-solving, leadership, and impact — suddenly the door is wide open. AI doesn’t replace human judgment. It magnifies it. Which means who steps forward now will shape how this technology gets used later. If you care about women not just participating in the future of tech, but shaping it — this one’s worth reading! 👉 https://lnkd.in/ekQqrNXH #WomenInSTEM #GirlsInSTEM #STEMGems #GiveGirlsRoleModels ✍️ Article by Meghan Joyce

𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝟯𝗫 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗷𝗼𝗯𝘀. As per a recent report published by the UN, in high-income countries, women are 3X more likely than men to hold jobs at high risk of automation. Worldwide, in formal workplaces more women than men hold jobs like admin assistants, secretaries, bank tellers, data entry staff, customer service. For millions of women, these are not job roles, these are their lifelines. They provide women- - their first step into the formal economy.  - a source of financial independence. - a stable income that keeps families afloat. - and a dignified path to self-worth. When these roles vanish, women are going to lose access to job market, they will lose their agency and would run a risk of losing their security. When we talk about AI coming for your job, it's mostly women who are going to be swept by automation. Agreed, AI will boost productivity. That's the promise. But as Ray Dalio warns, we may be entering a “great deleveraging” where tech outpaces our ability to transition people fast enough. Especially for women. That threat from AI runs deeper than this. First, 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗔𝗜 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴. Women are underrepresented in STEM, data science and AI development a such. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗜 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀, 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆. The resulting products ate those which don’t even serve half the population well. Or worse, actively disadvantage them. STEM and AI-related fields are where the highest-paying, most secure and most influential jobs are being created. With fewer women in these roles, the gender wealth gap widens. Then there’s the perennial hidden bias of the recruitment process that women have to fight. Some AI recruitment tools already filter out resumes with “women-coded” language. In developing countries, the danger runs equally deep. A limited digital access means the gap widens even more. Women lack access to training, tools and a chance to compete. Therefore, with automation of manual repetitive jobs, it is not simply about who gets hired or who remains in job. It is more about who gets to participate in the economy of the future. The brunt of this will be borne mostly by women. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗔𝗜-𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲. 𝗜𝗳 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗲𝘁𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗔𝗨𝗧𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗘 𝗜𝗧 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲. #womenintech #futureofwork #AI #digitalinclusion Anthropia Margareth Goldenberg

*** Original Research: Gen Z aren’t just using AI to study. They’re using it to decide what to say, how to feel, what’s right, and who’s wrong. In recent focus groups I conducted with university students, one pattern was impossible to ignore: AI has quietly become a confidence coach, moral referee, relationship translator, and decision-maker. Chatbots are stepping into roles once filled by friends, parents, and teachers. At a stage of life when judgment, making mistakes, and learning emotional nuance are essential, too much of that work is now being outsourced to machines that are not neutral, not infallible, and not accountable. This is not about banning AI or turning back the clock. It is about recognising a shift that is already underway, and asking what young people lose when their first instinct is to confide in a chatbot rather than a human. We failed this generation on social media, we cannot afford to fail them again. Watch the video or read my article in The Telegraph, “We failed Gen Z on social media – we cannot fail them on AI, too,” to understand how AI is reshaping trust, decision-making, and emotional development, and why adults, educators, regulators, and tech platforms all have a role to play. #ArtificialIntelligence #GenerationZ #MentalHealth #DigitalLiteracy #EthicalTech #Education #AIResponsibility

As Go the Young, So Goes Society A nationally representative survey by Gallup and the Whalton Family Foundation (2,473 U.S. adults aged 18–28, October 2025) tells a more nuanced story about Gen Z and AI than the headlines suggest. It challenges the popular narrative — including comments by Sam Altman — that younger people use ChatGPT as a life advisor while older users treat it like Google. The data says otherwise. What Gen Z Is Actually Using AI For • 74% use AI at least once a month • 65% use AI as a Google replacement • 52% use it to help with work • 46% use it to help with writing • 32% use it for personal life advice • 23% use chatbots “as a friend” • 10% use AI as a “girlfriend or boyfriend” The dominant pattern? — Productivity over companionship. Despite viral narratives about AI replacing relationships, Gen Z appears largely pragmatic — using AI as a tool to enhance output, not as a substitute for connection. The Paradox: High Usage, High Concern Even as adoption rises, so does uncertainty: • 79% worry AI makes people lazier • 62% worry AI makes people less smart Young adults are not blindly embracing AI. They are asking an important question: If we outsource cognitive effort today, what happens to human capability tomorrow? Implications for Employers: Accept the AI trade-off: Concerns about cognitive atrophy aren’t irrational. Leaders must treat them as legitimate, not reactionary. AI Prohibition isn’t a strategy: Prohibition is unrealistic. Many young employees will use AI regardless of policy. Governance > avoidance. Reduce fear through exposure: Interestingly, frequent users worry less. First-hand “aha” moments reduce techno-anxiety. Focus on augmentation, not substitution. Use AI to: • Eliminate tedious work • Improve learning quality • Free up time for what cannot be automated: judgment, creativity, and human-to-human interaction As leaders navigate GenAI integration, the signal is clear: Gen Z is neither starry-eyed nor cynical. They are cautious adopters. And if history tells us anything — how the young use technology today is how society will use it tomorrow. Picture Credit: IE University

Recently, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, during a conversation hosted by Sequoia Capital, made a statement that should not be ignored. He said, “Young people don’t really make life decisions without asking ChatGPT. It has the full context on every person in their life and what they’ve talked about.” This isn’t just a comment from a technology CEO — it’s a glimpse into how deeply AI has embedded itself into the decision-making process of our younger generation. I believe this moment demands more than applause or concern. It demands examination. Artificial Intelligence, generative models, are rapidly becoming not just tools but proxies for judgment, learning, and even emotional reassurance. Data increasingly shows that we’re moving from using AI to support thought — to letting AI substitute thought. In 2023, a survey by Intelligent. com reported that 30% of college students use ChatGPT to complete assignments — not to assist, but to replace the effort of thinking. A 2024 study by the University of Zurich further found that students who heavily rely on GenAI tools underperform in applied reasoning tasks, compared to their peers who rely on traditional learning methods. In parallel, a Common Sense Media report from 2023 revealed that 44% of children feel more “understood” by AI bots than by real people. Another study from Finland linked regular AI use among adolescents with decreased clarity about personal values and confusion during identity formation. These are not abstract risks. These are emerging patterns. 🎯 The role of AI in society must be built not just on capability, but on consciousness. While we are witnessing companies like OpenAI, Meta, and others accelerating development, we must ensure that public policy keeps pace — and purpose. 🎯 India, home to one of the youngest populations in the world, must ask itself: Are we preparing a generation that thinks critically, empathizes deeply, and chooses wisely — or are we shaping a generation that learns to delegate decisions to data-driven systems? 🎯 This is not about resisting AI. It is about responsible, human-aligned AI. It is about ensuring our children grow with cognitive strength, emotional clarity, and ethical discernment — not just algorithmic convenience. 🎯 Public institutions, educators, policymakers, and startups must come together to co-create a framework where AI is used to enhance learning, not replace it; where tools inform but don’t override judgment; where digital systems support human potential — but never define it. We must not let AI become a crutch that weakens independent thought. We must not allow emotional dependence on systems that were never designed to feel. Technology is moving fast. But our responsibility to govern, guide, and ground it in values must move faster. The future of intelligence — artificial or human — will not be shaped by code alone. It will be shaped by the conscience that governs its use. #chatgpt #aitools