Is Your Brain Rotting on ChatGPT?

[William Hamilton]

There has been considerable attention to the publication of a study titled "Your Brain on ChatGPT: Accumulation of Cognitive Debt when Using an AI Assistant for Essay Writing Task." https://www.media.mit.edu/publications/your-brain-on-chatgpt/. As the title suggests, the authors concluded that certain applications of LLMs may not result in the accumulation of knowledge. One headline stated, "Does ChatGPT Make Your Brain Rot." https://www.axios.com/2025/07/02/chatgpt-brain-mit-study-dumber. Most of this is nonsense. The technology does not invade your head, but it does have effects associated with its use. I've found Ethan Mollick's take on this very insightful. https://www.oneusefulthing.org/p/against-brain-damage?publication_id=1180644&post_id=167495203&isFreemail=true&r=oq00&triedRedirect=true.

My sense is that we must incorporate LLMs into our e-discovery practice, but at the risk of brain rot? Similar question for law schools.